Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety30#647/924
Economy56#404/925
Housing6#873/925
Health57#398/925
Healthcare85#139/923
Environment33#616/917
Education69#288/925
Infrastructure97#32/925
Community74#244/925
Leisure & amenities82#165/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Medford, OR metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Distance to an airport · low7 mi
100/100Oregon 26 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high781 /100k
97/100Oregon 776 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Physical inactivity · low20.3%
90/100Oregon 20.9%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · high96 /100k
89/100Oregon 95 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Dentists · high86 /100k
89/100Oregon 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · low1,833 /100k
88/100Oregon 1,868 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Home price to income ratio · high5.8×
7/100Oregon 5.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Unemployment rate · high5.7%
8/100Oregon 5.2%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Property crime rate · high2,123 /100k
9/100Oregon 2,118 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high55.9%
9/100Oregon 52.5%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Cost of buying a home today · high44.2%
10/100Oregon 42.2%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Severe housing problems · high18.6%
11/100Oregon 18.2%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
100% (2021) → 53% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−47 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
7 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
New business applicationsImproving
9.9 /1k (2020) → 15.6 /1k (2025)
+59%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
23.7% (2020 & 2021) → 34.5% (2023 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Child poverty rateImproving
21.1% (2015-2019) → 11.7% (2020-2024)
−9.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Hot daysWorsening
15 days (2011-2020) → 21 days (2016-2025)
+43%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Medford, OR metro area improved on 13 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 5 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Child poverty−9.3 points21.1% → 11.7%
Household income+39%$53,412 → $73,999
Suicides−25%30.0 /100k → 22.6 /100k
Poverty−3.2 points15.5% → 12.4%
Firearm deaths−29%21.0 /100k → 14.9 /100k

Declined7

Overdose deaths+53%14.8 /100k → 22.6 /100k
Homicides+25%3.2 /100k → 4.0 /100k
Violent crime+8.9%301 /100k → 327 /100k
Arts & recreation−6.5%4.9 /10k → 4.6 /10k
Pharmacies−18%1.2 /10k → 1.0 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Medford, OR metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.9 /10k2020	4.6 /10k2025	−6.5%	Declined	18%
Average commute time	18.9 min2015-2019	19.1 min2020-2024	+0.1 min	Within the margin of error	59%
Average weekly wage	$9252020	$1,1552025	+25%	Improved	65%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.8%2015-2019	31.7%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	75%
Broadband subscriptions	84.5%2015-2019	91.1%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Improved	20%
Child poverty rate	21.1%2015-2019	11.7%2020-2024	−9.3 points	Improved	94%
Distance to an airport	7 mi2020	7 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	26%
Drug overdose deaths	14.8 /100k2020	22.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+53%	Declined	9%
Effective property tax rate	0.86%2015-2019	0.73%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	51%
Firearm deaths	21.0 /100k2020	14.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−29%	Improved	91%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	+3.6%	Little change	64%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+0.9%	Little change	45%
High school diploma or higher	90.1%2015-2019	92.0%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Home price to income ratio	5.2×2015-2019	5.8×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	36%
Homicide rate	3.2 /100k2020	4.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+25%	Declined	10%
Income adjusted for local prices	$47,2362019	$64,8722024	+37%	Improved	82%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4662015-2019	0.4612020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	69%
Median household income	$53,4122015-2019	$73,9992020-2024	+39%	Improved	93%
New business applications	9.9 /1k2020	15.6 /1k2025	+59%	Improved	68%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−18%	Declined	25%
Poverty rate	15.5%2015-2019	12.4%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Improved	88%
Property crime rate	2,843 /100k2020	2,123 /100k2025	−25%	Improved	32%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−0.2%	Little change	62%
Public transit commuters	1.0%2015-2019	0.5%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Declined	32%
Rent as share of income	32.5%2015-2019	32.8%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Rent-burdened households	54.8%2015-2019	55.9%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Restaurants and bars	11.7 /10k2020	11.7 /10k2025	+0.1%	Little change	46%
Suicide rate	30.0 /100k2020	22.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−25%	Improved	89%
Traffic deaths	12.6 /100k2015-2019	12.6 /100k2020-2024	+0.2%	Little change	62%
Unemployment rate	7.9%2020	5.7%2025	−2.2 points	Improved	28%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.2%2015-2019	7.3%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Improved	83%
Violent crime rate	301 /100k2020	327 /100k2025	+8.9%	Declined	18%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Medford, OR metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Medford, OR metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Medford, OR metro area itself moved +1.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

222,645 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

92,035 households (±634)

Medford, OR metro area
United States share

Under $25k15%13,747
$25k–50k20%17,988
$50k–75k16%14,995

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

92,035 households (±634)

Medford, OR metro area
United States share

Own66%60,693
Rent34%31,342

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.7 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

98,081 workers (±1,771)

Medford, OR metro area
United States share

Drive alone72%70,773
Carpool9.3%9,075
Public transit0.5%†447

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Medford, OR employ 21,400 people. 8 pay a median above the US median and 2 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Medford, OR by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers3,210 jobs	3,210	$34,140US $31,200	+9%	1.46×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides3,000 jobs	3,000	$44,950US $35,800	+26%	1.22×
Retail Salespersons2,840 jobs	2,840	$35,840US $35,410	+1%	1.27×
Registered Nurses2,370 jobs	2,370	$127,030US $97,550	+30%	1.22×
Cashiers2,060 jobs	2,060	$34,390US $32,880	+5%	1.16×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,890 jobs	1,890	$39,120US $37,330	+5%	1.16×
General and Operations Managers1,680 jobs	1,680	$95,630US $105,770	−10%	0.84×
Office Clerks, General1,460 jobs	1,460	$48,730US $45,010	+8%	1.03×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,450 jobs	1,450	$39,090US $36,840	+6%	1.15×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers1,440 jobs	1,440	$58,220US $58,640	−1%	1.22×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Medford, OR.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Medford, OR has 6,589 employer establishments, 298 for every 10,000 residents (1.20× the US rate of 248), with 79,766 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,506. The Census Bureau also counts 18,988 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,589; 18,988 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 298; US 248
Paid employees: 79,766
Average annual pay: $54,506; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Medford, OR by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	544	24.6	1.18×About typical	7,520	$77,110	1,128
Specialty trade contractors	514	23.2	1.50×More than typical	4,015	$64,719	961
Restaurants and other eating places	490	22.1	1.21×About typical	7,123	$24,544	89
Lessors of real estate	355	16	1.30×More than typical	929	$45,584	2,121
Construction of buildings	336	15.2	2.01×More than typical	1,401	$55,960	690
Services to buildings and dwellings	228	10.3	1.53×More than typical	1,238	$34,176	1,089
Full-service restaurants	207	9.4	1.22×About typical	3,136	$28,450	38
Offices of other health practitioners	198	8.9	1.47×More than typical	843	$51,849	678
Limited-service restaurants	184	8.3	1.04×About typical	2,748	$22,278	32
Building equipment contractors	163	7.4	1.22×About typical	1,911	$69,070	107
Offices of physicians	158	7.1	1.10×About typical	3,045	$104,920	188
Real estate agents and brokers	150	6.8	1.39×More than typical	226	$49,500	540

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 221,276 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $90.8M on contracts performed in Medford, OR metro area: $409 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $90.8M; −17% vs FY2025
Per resident: $409; US $1,995
Sole-source: 9.5%; US 30%
Single offer: 55%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Forest Service$59.2M65%
Department of Veterans Affairs$13.4M15%
Bureau of Land Management$9.4M10%
Department of the Army$6.8M7.5%
Department of the Air Force$771.4K0.8%
Public Buildings Service$483.8K0.5%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$462.9K0.5%
U.S. Coast Guard$168.2K0.2%

Top recipients

CROMAN CORP$18.5M20%
ANDERSEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF OREGON LLC$9.6M11%
GRAYBACK FORESTRY, INC.$7.1M7.8%
PACIFIC RIDGELINE FORESTRY LLC$6.5M7.2%
STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE$5.4M5.9%

Spending by fiscal year

107MFY2017
95.3MFY2018
102MFY2019
141.3MFY2020
117.8MFY2021
73.5MFY2022
139.4MFY2023
80.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$35.2M39%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$18.6M20%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$10.7M12%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$6M6.6%
Special food services · 7223$5.3M5.8%
Other miscellaneous manufacturing · 3399$1.9M

Largest awards

IMPLEMENTING EO 14398 DEI DISCRIMINATION CON NRM 692-22-104 REPLACE AGED AND DEFICIENT STEAM LINES AT THE VA SOUTHERN OREGON REHABILITATION CENTER AND CLINICS IN WHITE CITY, OR$9.6M
ANDERSEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF OREGON LLC· Jackson County, OR· Construction & real property· Jul 10, 2026 – Jul 10, 2026· 36C26026C0025
SLATER FIRE ROADSIDE DANGER TREE REMOVAL$6M
PACIFIC RIDGELINE FORESTRY LLC· Jackson County, OR· Facilities & utilities· Aug 17, 2026 – Aug 17, 2026· 1240BF26C0003
692-22-105 RENOVATE SPACE IN BUILDINGS 217A AND 218A FOR MENTAL HEALTH$5.2M
SKYTEK LLC· Jackson County, OR· Construction & real property· Aug 26, 2025 – Feb 24, 2026· 36C26025C0037

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.7B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Medford, OR metro area: $7,593 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.7B; −3.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,593; US $12,957
Loan face value: $82.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.1B67%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$175.2M10%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$106.9M6.3%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$81.8M4.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$37.9M2.3%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$22.6M1.3%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$13.8M0.8%
20.263 · Bridge Formula Program$13.2M0.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$32.1M1.9%
SALEM, OR
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF JACKSON COUNTY$23.5M1.4%
MEDFORD, OR
SOUTHERN OREGON CHILD & FAMILY COUNCIL INC$12.8M0.8%
CENTRAL POINT, OR
LA CLINCA DEL VALLE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER INC$9.3M0.6%
MEDFORD, OR
SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.4B81%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$200.2M12%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$32.1M1.9%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$23.5M1.4%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Health Resources and Services Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

1.5BFY2021
1.5BFY2022
1.5BFY2023
1.6BFY2024
1.7BFY2025
1.7BFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Medford, OR

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Jackson CountyCentral county53221,795

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MedfordPrincipal city86,315

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Oregon

Areas based in Oregon, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M32780

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Medford, OR metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Medford, OR

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Oregon

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Look up any occupation

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought