Bend vs Medford
Bend, Oregon versus Medford, Oregon: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bend and Medford score about the same overall (44 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bend | Medford |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $83k | $66k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $52k |
| Home Value | $577k | $356k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.67% | 0.82% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.55% | 14.36% |
| Unemployment | 3.8% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 34°F | 40°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 69°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.6 in | 18.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 21.6 in | 3.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 209 days | 333 days |
| Summer Humidity | 52°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 16 days | 58 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 38.7 | 47.8 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 63.2 | 64.4 |
| Violent Crime | 672/100k | 1243/100k |
| Property Crime | 1603/100k | 4323/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 99,442 | 85,539 |
| Median Age | 39.5 | 38.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.21 | 0.31 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 83.4% | 74.8% |
| Black (%) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.0% | 16.6% |
| Asian (%) | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.8% | 6.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 17 min |
| Walkability | 5.7/20 | 13.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 123 mi | 225 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.9% | 89.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 38.51 | 32.73 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bend or Medford more affordable?
- Medford has the lower cost of living: its index is $52k, compared with Bend's $61k and Medford's $52k. Median rent is $2k in Bend versus $1k in Medford.
- Is Bend or Medford safer?
- Bend has the lower violent crime rate. Bend reports 672/100k and Medford reports 1243/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bend or Medford?
- The median home value is $577k in Bend and $356k in Medford, so homes are more affordable in Medford.