Portland, OR vs Medford, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR outspends Medford, OR by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $12,307, a 92% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Medford, OR edges Portland, OR on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 70/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Portland, OR carries the lighter load at $1,574 per resident versus $2,887 for Medford, OR. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Portland, OR at $2,477 per resident and in Medford, OR at $822.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Portland, OR at 19% of total revenue, whereas Medford, OR relies most on other revenue at 16%.
Summary
Portland spends 92.4% more per capita than Medford ($11,368/person difference). Medford, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $17 |
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $241 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $1,848 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $2,768 |
| Other | $7,916 | $3,119 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $267 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $322 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $1,096 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $311 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $822 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $3,358 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $232 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $1,690 |
| Other | $6,689 | $4,209 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.