Medford’s current Zillow ZHVI typical home value is $412,749, while Zillow ZORI typical observed market rent is $1,721 per month. That produces a 5.0% gross yield before vacancy, management, maintenance, insurance, taxes, utilities, capital work and financing. The home value is 5.64x ACS median household income, and annualized ZORI is 28.2% of that income, indicating affordability pressure without establishing what any household or property can support. ZHVI rose 1.0% year over year, while ZORI rose 4.1%; the spread is not a forecast.
Citywide stock has 36,630 housing units, with renters holding 43.7% of occupied units. The ACS median owner-reported home value is $417,100, and median gross rent is $1,376 including selected utilities. These occupied-housing measures differ in concept and period from Zillow’s typical value and observed market rent, so they should inform separate affordability and market-rent views, not be averaged or treated as property quotes. Citywide vacancy and tenure describe the stock, not the leasability or condition of a specific property.
Among renter households, 57.0% are rent-burdened; 68.3% of all housing units are single-family and 8.9% are in large multifamily structures. Of vacant units, 40.2% are classified as for rent, a survey reason share rather than available inventory or proof of fast leasing. Population is 86,315, up 6.4% between overlapping ACS vintages; this is not annualized and may reflect boundary changes. Median household income is $73,230, while the 13.2% poverty and 5.3% unemployment rates describe demand constraints, not tenant quality, collections or submarket performance.
Jackson County listings had a median 60 days on market and 17.5% with price reductions, county context for listing liquidity and seller repricing that does not measure Medford transactions. The Medford metro recorded 0.13% job growth and 3.2 months of supply, metro context for broader demand and resale availability that does not resolve city conditions. The national Freddie Mac 30-year mortgage rate was 6.66%, national financing context that raises debt-service sensitivity but does not specify a borrower’s quote.
Underwriting is limited by citywide aggregation, differing Zillow and ACS definitions and periods, overlapping ACS vintages, possible boundary changes, and wider-area indicators that do not measure the city. Before acting, verify achievable rent with current property-level comps; inspect major systems and condition; obtain tax, insurance and hazard quotes; confirm utility responsibility, fees, legal use and title; and model vacancy, concessions, management, repairs, turnover, capital reserves and actual financing. These checks determine whether the headline gross yield survives property-specific costs and execution risk.