Overall
101.4
+1.4 above avg
2024 BEA RPP All 4 categories Federal source
Medford, OR
Cost-of-living indicators for Medford, OR, compiled from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2024 data year). Categories include All Items, Goods, Services, and Rents.
CBSA: 32780 · Data year: 2024 · Rank: #62 of 387
Medford, OR has a cost of living index of 101.4, meaning it's 1.4% more expensive than the national average. Goods cost 5.3% more, services 2.3% more, and rents are 2.3% below average. A $100K national salary has the purchasing power of $98,587 here.
What the Numbers Mean for Medford
Medford ranks #62 of 387 U.S. metro areas measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, placing it in the top quartile for cost. With an overall Regional Price Parity of 101.4, Medford, OR is 1.4% more expensive than the national baseline of 100. The gap between Medford's most and least expensive categories — goods at 105.3 versus rents at 97.7 — is what drives the household budget experience on the ground, not the single headline number.
Translated into dollars, a nationally-benchmarked $100,000 salary carries the purchasing power of $98,587 inside Medford, while a household needs roughly $101,433 here to match a $100K lifestyle elsewhere. Rents carry the biggest swing in the BEA formula and are indexed at 97.7 — 2.3% below the national average — so anyone weighing a move or a remote-work arbitrage should treat the housing line as the single largest variable in the equation.
Looking at the 2008-2024 trajectory, Medford's overall index has risen by 4.0 points, signaling tightening affordability. For the 2024 data year, goods are indexed at 105.3 and services at 102.3, meaning everyday spending in Medford is governed more by the services and rent mix than by retail goods prices. Readers comparing multiple destinations should always pair the RPP headline with local wage data and housing costs before drawing relocation conclusions.
Medford Cost Index at a Glance
Medford all-items cost index
Regional Price Parity vs national average (100)
Medford category breakdown
BEA RPP composition by goods, services, rents, overall
Price Index Summary
Goods
105.3
+5.3 above avg
Services
102.3
+2.3 above avg
Rents
97.7
-2.3 below avg
Price Index vs National Average (100)
Overall
National avg
Index 101.4 (+1.4 vs national avg)
Goods
National avg
Index 105.3 (+5.3 vs national avg)
Services
National avg
Index 102.3 (+2.3 vs national avg)
Rents
National avg
Index 97.7 (-2.3 vs national avg)
Vertical line on each bar = national average (100)
Cost Breakdown Analysis
Above National Average
Goods +5.3% (105.3)
Services +2.3% (102.3)
Overall +1.4% (101.4)
Below National Average
Rents -2.3% (97.7)
Income Adequacy in Medford
Medford income adequacy score
$75,000 median income vs RPP 101.4
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$101,433
in Medford, OR purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$50,717
$75,000 nationally
$76,075
$125,000 nationally
$126,791
$150,000 nationally
$152,150
$200,000 nationally
$202,866
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending upward, increasing by 4.0 points over this period.
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.5 |
| 2009 | 99.6 |
| 2010 | 98.7 |
| 2011 | 102.0 |
| 2012 | 100.9 |
| 2013 | 97.2 |
| 2014 | 98.4 |
| 2015 | 98.7 |
| 2016 | 98.1 |
| 2017 | 100.0 |
| 2018 | 102.6 |
| 2019 | 99.9 |
| 2020 | 101.9 |
| 2021 | 102.2 |
| 2022 | 105.7 |
| 2023 | 103.4 |
| 2024 | 101.4 |
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Medford, OR's index of 101.4.
Other OR Metros
Related Data for Medford
Salary Data
BLS occupation wages for Medford area
Fair Market Rents
HUD rent data for Medford metro
Crime Rates
FBI UCR crime data near Medford
School Districts
NCES school data for Medford area
ZIP Code Data
Census demographics for Medford area
Life Score
Quality-of-life composite rating
Relocation Guide
7-dimension relocation intelligence
Cost of Living Guides
Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Salary Negotiation Using RPP Data
Calculate real purchasing power for negotiations
Comparing Metro Areas
Step-by-step BEA RPP comparison walkthrough
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Medford, OR? ▼
Medford, OR has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 101.4, meaning it is 1.4% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 105.3, services at 102.3, and rents at 97.7. It ranks #62 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Medford, OR to match $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $101,433 in Medford, OR. Conversely, $100K earned in Medford, OR has the purchasing power of $98,587 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Medford, OR? ▼
Rents in Medford, OR are indexed at 97.7, which is 2.3% below the national average. This is close to the U.S. average.
Is Medford, OR getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Medford, OR's overall cost index changed by +4.0 points (from 97.5 to 101.4). The cost of living has been trending upward.
What costs the most in Medford, OR? ▼
The most expensive category in Medford, OR is goods at 105.3, which is 5.3% above the national average. The most affordable category is rents at 97.7, 2.3% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Medford, OR? ▼
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Eugene-Springfield, Hanford-Corcoran. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Medford, OR's 101.4.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (2024). Index where national average = 100.
Related
Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCost Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — cost-of-living indices by metro and state. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI) — inflation context by metro. bls.gov/cpi
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) — housing-cost component. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — wage component. bls.gov/oes
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS — household income + demographics. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
- IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) — tax-burden context. irs.gov/statistics
