Medford vs Orem
The short version
- Orem is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Medford area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $417,100 in Medford and $472,300 in Orem.
- Households earn more in Orem ($83,342 vs $73,230 median).
- Medford has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 41°F.
- Orem gets far more snow: 45 inches a year vs 3.
- Medford is growing faster: +0.5% since 2020 vs -2.9%.
- Commutes are shorter in Medford (17 vs 20 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Medford, OR | Orem, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 86,494 | 95,214 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.5% | -2.9% |
| People per square mile | 3,026 | 5,114 |
| Median age | 38.9 | 27.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 44% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,230 | $83,342 |
| Median home value | $417,100 | $472,300 |
| Home value to income | 5.7× | 5.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,376 | $1,438 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.4 | 98.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 97.7 | 104.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $76,100 | $73,700 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | 9.9% | 4.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 0% | 7.42% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.6 | 20.1 |
| Work from home | 11% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.3% | 3.9% |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 10.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 33° | 41° / 24° |
| July high / low | 92° / 59° | 95° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 18 in | 17 in |
| Snowfall per year | 3 in | 45 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 61 | 74 |
| Nights below freezing | 64 | 111 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 92.5 | 95.3 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 66% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.9% | +3.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +22% | +34.2% |
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: Medford: May to June and September to October. Orem: May and September.
Full monthly tables: Medford weather by month and Orem weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $76,100 in Medford and $73,700 in Orem. Moving from Medford to Orem, you would need about $72,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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