City comparison
Medford, OR is about 225 miles (350 km) from Portland, OR in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 30 min 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 Portland, OR takes about 27 min, covering roughly 225 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.
Portland has a population of 646,101, vs 85,539 in Medford — about 7.6× larger by population. By land area, Portland covers about 135 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 | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,214/mo | $1,530/mo | 26.0% higher in Portland |
| Median home value | $355,600 | $523,100 | 47.1% higher in Portland |
| Median household income | $65,647 | $85,876 | 30.8% higher in Portland |
| Groceries index | 105.2 | 105.1 | ≈ equal (Medford slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 104.3 | 108.6 | 4.1% higher in Portland |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 100.5 | ≈ equal (Medford slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.5 | ≈ equal (Medford slightly higher) |
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 $111,803 in Portland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Medford, OR is about 10.6% cheaper overall than Portland, OR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% higher in Portland than in Medford. If you earn $80,000 in Medford, you'd need about $89,442 in Portland to keep the same standard of living.