The seventh-largest community in Oregon, Medford sits 28 miles north of the California border. Medford was established on the remains of an ancient volcanic-flow area. Area visitors can see evidence of this in the lava formations that are found within the city's limits.
Medford is a haven for outdoor activities, among the most popular being floating the Rogue River, bird and wildlife watching, caving, fishing, hiking, hunting and sightseeing. A popular tourist destination, Medford is home to the Upper and Lower Table Rocks, which are visited by more then 10,000 people annually. Spring offers the best time for viewing the many different wild flowers and birds.
Medford is surrounded by pear-growing country, and Harry & David, a pioneer in mail-order fruit shipping, is based near the town.
Medford's economy is driven primarily by the health care industry
Medford is the economic and shopping center for over 460,000 people located in Southern Oregon and Northern California. The Projected 2008 retail sales in the Greater Medford Area are $7.5 billion dollars. The average is more than the expanded Portland and Eugene markets.
In the past, Medford's economy was fueled by agriculture (pears, peaches, viticulture grapes) and timber products. The largest direct marketer of fruits and food gifts in the United States, Harry and David Operations Corp., is based in Medford. It is the largest employer in Southern Oregon, with 1,700 year round and about 6,700 seasonal employees in the Medford area. Harry and David was founded in 1910 to market the harvest from the orchards of the Rogue Valley.
Musician's Friend, America's largest direct response retailer of musical instruments and related gear, is headquartered in Medford. Tom's Bronco Parts, the nationwide leader of replacement parts for the early Ford Bronco (model years 1966-1977) is located in Medford as well. Benchmark Maps, founded in Medford in 1995, produces detailed atlases and maps in 10 western states. Falcon Northwest, a personal computer manufacturing company, has been operating in Medford since 2002. There is even a film production company, called Pacific International Enterprises, which has been distributing films from Medford since at least the 1970s.
Lithia Motors, the Nation's 8th largest auto retailer, has called Medford home for nearly 40 years. Publicly trade on the NYSE as LAD, Lithia operates nearly 80 dealerships west of the Mississippi River.
As there are no towns of equal or larger size within several hours' drive, Medford is a regional hub for medical services. The two major medical centers in the city, Rogue Valley Medical Center and Providence Medford Medical Center, employ over 2,000 people. As Medford is also a retirement destination, assisted living and senior services have become an important part of the economy.
Medford and the surrounding area is home to the expanding Oregon wine industry that includes a large variety of Bordelaise, Rhone, and Burgundian varietals including merlot, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, zinfandel, pinot noir, gewürztraminer, riesling, pinot gris, chardonnay, pinot blanc, early muscat, and Gamay Noir. Unlike the rest of Oregon, the region has also enjoyed success with two lesser-known varietals: Tempranillo, the red grape known best as the foundation of Spanish Rioja, and Viognier, a white grape previously found only in isolated parts of the Rhone region.
MEDFORD OREGON ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES
Medford Oregon is a popular shopping area for many people who reside in the southern Oregon and northern California region. In addition to its retail stores, Medford's industries include health care, agriculture, timber, natural resources and mining, construction, manufacturing, information services, finances, education, and government. A number of top employers in the city contribute to Medford's economy:
Avista Corp. is an energy company. This company is involved in the production, transmission, and distribution of energy. The company is committed to fostering its employees and allowing them to turn their ideas into business opportunities.
Harry & David is a direct marketing/e-commerce company with more than 130 stores located throughout the country. Headquartered in Medford, the company employs more than 2,500 employees for year long positions. The company adds 8,000 employees during its seasonal rush periods.
Lithia Motors, Inc., is headquartered in Medford,Oregon and its vehicle dealerships are located in 15 states. This company employs more than 6,000 individuals in total.
Musician's Friend is the nation's largest direct-response retailer when it comes to musical instruments and related gear.
Tom's Bronco Parts is the nation's leader for replacement parts in Ford Broncos that were manufactured between 1966 and 1977.
Benchmark Maps is responsible for the production of detailed atlases and maps for ten of the western states in the country.
Falcon Northwest is a personal computer manufacturing company and has been in Medford since 2002.
Demographics of Medford Oregon
As of the census of 2000, there were 63,154 people, 25,093 households, and 16,511 families residing in the city. In 2005 the population was estimated at 71,000 people. The population density was 2,910.5 people per square mile (1,123.7/km²). There were 26,297 housing units at an average density of 1,211.9/sq mi (467.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.99% White, 0.50% African American,1.07% Native American,1.14% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 3.87% from other races, and 3.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.25% of the population.
There were 25,093 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,481, and the median income for a family was $43,972. Males had a median income of $34,533 versus $23,714 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,170. About 10.3% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Historical populations of Medford Oregon
Census Pop. %±
1890 967 —
1900 1,791 85.2%
1910 8,840 393.6%
1920 5,756 -34.9%
1930 11,087 92.6%
1940 11,281 1.7%
1950 17,305 53.4%
1960 24,425 41.1%
1970 28,454 16.5%
1980 39,603 39.2%
1990 46,951 18.6%
2000 63,154 34.5%
Est. 2008 76,850 21.7%
Community Profile Information
Transportation: Located on Interstate 5 with access to US 99 and State Highways 62, 140, 238 and 234
Served by Rogue Valley International Medford Airport
Airlines: United Express, Horizon Air, Delta and Allegiant Air
Direct service to Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver
Primary active runway, 14/32, 8,800 ft by 150 ft, secondary 09/27, 3145ft by 100ft
ILS, Approach Lighting, Hi Intensity Runway Lighting, PAPI, VOR
Four car rental services: Avis, Budget, Hertz, National
Airfreight: Airborne Express, FED EX, Horizon, United. Also available, UPS and Pony
Express
Charter Services Available
FBO’s with choice of fueling and services
Public transit provided by Rogue Valley Transit District.
Rail service available through Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad
Daily service available
Over 55 Interstate and Intrastate freight carriers based locally with over eleven freight brokers based in the region.
Communications:
Telephone carrier is QWest with direct dial digital service
High speed ISDN, T-l/DS1 and T-3/DS3, Sonet Ring, 4 POPs for long distance
The entire City is wired with fiber by Charter Communications
Over 23 ISP providers
Four local TV stations plus full complement of cable plus premium channels.
Nineteen radio stations
Three daily and four weekly newspapers
Level 22 Post Office
Utilities:
Electrical: Pacific Power and Light
Natural Gas: Avista Utilities Corp
Medford Water Comission
Waste water treatment: Medford Regional Water Reclamation Facility, activated sludge
System capacity: 26 MGD
Peak demand average: 14 MGD
Labor: Low High Average
Unskilled 7.25/hr 14.50 7.43/hr (laborer)
Semi-skilled 7.25/hr 16.04/hr 10.50/hr (machine operator)
Skilled 7.25/hr 20.58 14.03/hr (machinist, technical)
Less than 3% of local manufacturers are unionized
Community Services:
Hospitals: Rogue Valley Medical Center and Providence Medford Medical Center 473 total beds Both provide 24 hour emergency medical services
Education: Medford School District has over 11,800 students with a 19 to 1 student/teacher ratio
Post Secondary Schools
Rogue Community College
Southern Oregon University, Ashland
Recreation:
Ten public golf courses and one private golf course
One private country club
Twenty three City parks, ten county parks, two state parks and one federal park
Other amenities:
Highly motivated workforce
Established workforce training programs
Excellent business climate
Reasonable taxes
Available business expansion/location incentives
Enterprise Zone
Urban Renewal District
Foreign Trade Zone
HUB Zone
Outstanding Livability with distinct four seasons
Ginger Rogers Craterian Theater
Britt Music Festival
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Snow skiing and snowboarding
Rogue River boating, white water rafting, scenic vistas
Pristine lakes providing areas for hiking, camping, fishing, hunting
Abundant wildlife