City comparison
Medford, OR is about 350 miles (550 km) from Meridian, ID in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Medford, OR to Meridian, ID takes about 41 min, covering roughly 350 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Meridian has a population of 119,872, vs 85,539 in Medford — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Meridian covers about 37 sq mi vs 29 sq mi for Medford.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Medford | Meridian | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,214/mo | $1,548/mo | 27.5% higher in Meridian |
| Median home value | $355,600 | $425,800 | 19.7% higher in Meridian |
| Median household income | $65,647 | $93,296 | 42.1% higher in Meridian |
| Groceries index | 105.2 | 96.9 | 8.5% higher in Medford |
| Utilities index | 104.3 | 75.6 | 38.0% higher in Medford |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 99.5 | 1.2% higher in Medford |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 99.4 | 1.2% higher in Medford |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Medford, you'd need $99,711 in Meridian to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Medford and Meridian have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 10% higher in Meridian than in Medford. If you earn $80,000 in Medford, you'd need about $79,769 in Meridian to keep the same standard of living.