Bend vs Medford
The short version
- Medford is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Bend area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $417,100 in Medford and $718,400 in Bend.
- Households earn more in Bend ($96,394 vs $73,230 median).
- Medford has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 43°F.
- Bend gets far more snow: 22 inches a year vs 3.
- Medford has more scorching days: 61 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 16.
- Bend is growing faster: +8.2% since 2020 vs +0.5%.
Side by side
| Bend, OR | Medford, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 107,342 | 86,494 |
| Growth since 2020 | +8.2% | +0.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,052 | 3,026 |
| Median age | 40.9 | 38.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53% | 30% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $96,394 | $73,230 |
| Median home value | $718,400 | $417,100 |
| Home value to income | 7.5× | 5.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,883 | $1,376 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 101.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 110.0 | 97.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $76,100 |
| Homeowners | 62% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 9.9% | 9.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 0% | 0% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.3 | 16.6 |
| Work from home | 25% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.7% | 5.3% |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% | 13.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 43° / 25° | 48° / 33° |
| July high / low | 84° / 49° | 92° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 18 in |
| Snowfall per year | 22 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 16 | 61 |
| Nights below freezing | 168 | 64 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 84.9 | 92.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 89% | 66% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.7% | +3.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.2% | +22% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Bend: June to August. Medford: May to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Bend weather by month and Medford weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Bend and $76,100 in Medford. Moving from Bend to Medford, you would need about $73,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Bend and Medford
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Bend and Medford.
Which would you pick?
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