Medford

Medford is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census on April 1, 2020, the city had a total population of 85,824 and a metropolitan area population of 223,259. The city was named in 1883 by David Loring, civil engineer and right-of-way agent for the Oregon and California Railroad, after Medford, Massachusetts, which was near Loring's hometown of Concord, Massachusetts. Medford built a new steel bridge over Bear Creek to replace an earlier one which washed away three years before. Between World War II and the 1960s, Medford had a reputation as a sundown town where African Americans and other nonwhites were not allowed to live or stay at night. In 1967, Interstate 5 was completed immediately adjacent to downtown Medford to replace the Oregon Pacific Highway. The high volume of traffic on Interstate 5 led to the completion of a new north Medford interchange in 2006. Since the 1990s Medford has dedicated an appreciable amount to urban renewal in an attempt to revitalize the downtown area. Several old buildings have been restored, including the Craterianian Theater and the Ginger Rogers Theater, now operating as Pal-Neff Warehouse. Downtown Medford also boasts satellite campuses for both Rogue Community College and Southern Oregon University. The Medford Carnegie Library was completed in 1912. Five years later the library moved to Medford's new city hall, in another four years, Andrew Carnegie's donation allowed a dedicated library to be built.

History

Medford was platted in December 1883. It was incorporated as a town on February 24, 1885, and as a city in 1905. In 1927, Medford took the title of county seat of Jackson County away from nearby Jacksonville. Medford built a new steel bridge over Bear Creek to replace an earlier one which washed away three years before. Andrew Carnegie's donation allowed a dedicated library to be built in 1912. In 1967, Interstate 5 was completed immediately adjacent to downtown Medford to replace the Oregon Pacific Highway. In 2008 and 2009, the city embarked on the The Commons project on the downtown area. The project, one of the largest undertaken in recent years, aims to provide more parking, recreation, and commerce to the area. In 2011, Phase 1 of the project was completed, with a completion date of April 22, 2012. The Commons is anchored by the new corporate headquarters of Lithia Motors, Inc (NYSE: LAD). Included in the project are two public park blocks slated to be informal public gathering areas as well as the farmer's market for special events such as the Farmer's Market. The public park is slated to have two public areas, one for farmer's markets and the other for the farmers' market. In 2012, Phase 2 of the public park project was also completed, and is slated for completion in April 2013. In 2013, Phase 3 of The Commons will be completed with a public park area for the farmer’s market for the special events.

Geography

Medford sits in a rain shadow between the Cascade Range and Siskiyou Mountains called the Rogue Valley. Most of the rain associated with the Pacific Northwest and Oregon in particular skips Medford, making it drier and sunnier than the Willamette Valley. Medford's climate is considerably warmer, both in summer and winter, than its latitude would suggest, with a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) Summers are akin to Eastern Oregon, and winters resemble the coast. Freezing temperatures occur on 69 mornings during an average year, and in some years there may be a day or two where the high stays at or below freezing. In August 1981, the high temperature reached over 110 °F or 43.3 °C for four consecutive days, with two days reaching 114 °F (45.6 °C) Medford is 229 miles (369 km) from Salem, the capital of Oregon. In the past, the city has seen seasonal snowfall totals reach 31 inches or 0.79 metres in 1955-1956. The city is located in USDA hardiness zone 8. The nearest river is the Rogue River (8 mi or 13 km), and the nearest lake is Agate Lake (13 mi or 21 km).Nearby cities include Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, Ashland, Roseburg, Redding (California), and Crescent City (California). Medford also serves as a junction for Oregon Routes 99, 238, 62, and nearby 140 (6 mi or 9.7 km).

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 74,907 people, 30,079 households, and 19,072 families residing in the city. The Census Bureau estimate for 2016 calculated an 8.9% growth in Medford since 2010 with 81,636 people in 29,751 households. Through 2015, the Census Bureau estimates that there were 7,427 veterans and 7.3% foreign-born persons. Of people 16 or older, 61% of people held employment, and the median income was $41,931 (in 2015 dollars) The city's median age was 37.9 years, with 24.1% of residents under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The racial makeup of the city was 86.0% White,1.5% Asian, 1.2%, Native American, 0.9%, African American, 0.5%, Pacific Islander, 6.0%, and 3.9%. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.8% of the population. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was2.98. The gender makeup ofThe city was 48.4%. male and 51.6% female. The median age in the town was 37 years. male and 50.6%. female. There were 32,430 housing units at an average density of 1,260.4 per square mile (486.6/km²).

Economy

Medford's economy is driven primarily by the health care industry. As Medford is also a retirement destination, assisted living and senior services have become an important part of the economy. The recreational legalization of OR marijuana in 2012 has been a special boon for area agriculture. Lithia Motors, a Fortune 500 company and the 4th largest auto retailer in the U.S., has been headquartered in Medford since 1970. Medford and the surrounding area is home to the expanding Oregon wine industry, which includes the Rogue Valley AVA. The city's historic downtown has undergone an economic recovery in recent years, using a combination of public funds and private investment. The Neuman Hotel Group, based in nearby Ashland, OR, took over management and ownership of a large downtown motel, The Red Lion, in 2014, that had fallen into disrepair. The company renovated the property and renamed it Inn At the Commons. It is the largest employer in Southern Oregon, with 1,700 year round and about 6,700 seasonal employees in the Medford area. Other companies located in the city include Benchmark Maps, Falcon Northwest, Pacific International Enterprises, and Tucker Sno-Cat. The largest direct marketer of fruits and food gifts in the United States, Harry and David Operations Corp., is based in Medfords. It's the largest employers in SouthernOregon, with 2,700 employees year round. It was started in Ashland in 1946, named for a nearby springs. The state's wine industry is expanding.

Government

The governing body of Medford consists of an elected mayor and eight city council members, two from each of four wards. The council hires a professional city manager to run the day-to-day operations of the city. The mayor and council members are not paid, but are reimbursed for expenses. The current mayor is Randy Sparacino, who was elected in November 2020. The longest serving mayor was Gary Hale Wheeler, who served in the US Army and was an optometrist with an office in Medford. The city manager position is held by Brian Sjothun, the former Medford Parks and Recreation Director. Every biennium, one member from each ward is elected to serve a four-year term, creating an overlap where half of the eight-member council remains in office while the other half must campaign for reelection. Medford municipal code divides the city into four wards, each represented by two cityCouncil members. The most recent elections were held in November 2016 with about 56 percent of the votes for a term ending in December 2020. In November 2004, Medford had 16,653 of 28,195 votes (59%), reelected in 2008 with 21,651 of 22,211 votes (97.5%), and reelected again in 2012 with about 97 percent ofthe votes, and re elected again in 2016. Prior to his election, he spent thirteen years on the Medford Urban Renewal Agency Board and served inthe US Army where he also practiced optometry.

Points of interest

Medford is the birthplace of Bear Creek Corporation, known around the world for its fruit-laden gift baskets, especially locally grown pears. Roxy Ann Peak and Prescott Park is a 30-million-year-old mountain located on the east side of the city. Claire Hanley Arboretum was first planted in 1962 by Claire and Mary Hanley, two sisters raised on the historic Michael Hanley Farmstead along present-day Oregon Route 238. Medford Carnegie Library is a two-story library building located in downtown Medford. The Commons is a public park built in the city's historic downtown district adjacent to the Lithia Motors headquarters building. I.O.F. Eastwood Historic Cemetery lies on 20 acres (8.1 ha) just north ofBear Creek Park. The Vogel Plaza has quickly become a center of activity for many local event such as the Rogue Valley One Day Festival and the annual Pear Blossom Run across the street from the city hall. The most commonly used trail on Prescott Park climbs about 950 feet (290 m) from the beginning of the second gate to a height of about 3,5 feet (1,081 m) Medford's largest park is a 1,740-acre (2.72 sq mi; 7.0 km) protected area named in honor of George Prescott, a police officer killed in the line of duty in 1933. The city's oldest park is Alba Park, which was deeded to the city by the railroad company in 1888.

Education

Medford is served by Medford School District 549C and has two main high schools and an alternative high school. In addition to the two public high schools, Medford has several private high schools. Two of the largest are St. Mary's School and Cascade Christian High School. In 1997, Grants Pass-based Rogue Community College (RCC) completed construction on a seven-building campus spanning five blocks in downtown Medford. Pacific Bible College, formerly named Dove Bible Institute, was founded in Medford in 1989. In 2007, Southern Oregon University collaborated with Rogue in 2007 on the construction of an eighth building which will offer third- and fourth-year courses to students. Medford 5 49C has over 13,000 students enrolled as of 2012. There are 14 public elementary schools and two public middle schools, (Hedrick and McLoughlin) In addition, there are two private elementary and middle schools. Grace Christian and Sacred Heart School are private Elementary and Middle Schools. Crossroads School is a private, alternative, high school operating inMedford along with three others operated or affiliated with a church; Cascade Christian high School, St.Mary's High School, and Rogue Valley Adventist School. Medford 549 C has over13,000Students enrolled as a result of the Medford school district. In 2012, Medfords school district had over 13, 000 students. In 2013, the district had more than 12,500 students enrolled. MedFords School District had over 12,000 Students enrolled.

Crime and law enforcement

The FBI data for 2017 ranks Medford as the most dangerous city in Oregon. Medford has seen a recent surge in gang activity and organized crime in the past decade. Methamphetamine use is a problem in Medford and southern Oregon and is believed to play a role in numerous property crimes, including identity theft. The Medford Police Department has 103 sworn police officers supported by a staff of 33 civilian employees and 30 volunteers. The city of Medford is located in the southern part of theascade region of Oregon. The town has a population of about 3,000. The area has a history of violent crime, including murder, rape, robbery, and arson. It has a reputation for being a hotbed for organized crime and drug dealing. The state of Oregon has a high rate of crime and a low rate of homicide. The crime rate in the state is the highest in the United States, according to the FBI's "Crime in the U.S." publication. The number of murders is the second highest in Oregon, after the city of Portland. The rate of robberies is the third highest, followed by the state of Washington. The most violent crime is the murder rate, which has been rising in recent years. The highest rate of robbery is the rape rate, and the most violent crimes are the burglary and robbery. The violent crime rate is the robbery rate. The murder rate is up slightly from the previous year, but it is down from the year before, when it was at a record-high of 17.7.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon = 68.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Medford = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 85,824 individuals with a median age of 38.7 age the population grows by 12.84% in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,096.66 residents per square mile of area (1,195.61/km²). There are average 2.43 people per household in the 28,719 households with an average household income of $43,527 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 11.10% of the available work force and has dropped -5.23% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 18.44%. The number of physicians in Medford per 100,000 population = 267.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Medford = 19 inches and the annual snowfall = 6.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 100. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 195. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 30.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 66, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon which are owned by the occupant = 55.01%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 29 years with median home cost = $179,980 and home appreciation of -16.08%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $10.16 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,674 per student. There are 21.1 students for each teacher in the school, 623 students for each Librarian and 890 students for each Counselor. 5.52% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.29% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.87% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).