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About Talent and Phoenix
Talent and Phoenix are neighboring cities in Jackson County, along Interstate 5 and Bear Creek between Ashland and Medford. Both were incorporated in 1910. Phoenix lies about 3 miles southeast of Medford, and Talent is roughly halfway between Phoenix and Ashland.
Talent and Phoenix in numbers
| Measure | Talent | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Population, Census 2020 | 6,282 | 4,475 |
| Population, PSU certified estimate, July 1, 2025 | 6,701 | 4,600 |
| Change since 2020 | +6.7% | +2.8% |
| Change, 2024 to 2025 | +4.5% | +4.2% |
| Households | 3,152 | 1,904 |
| Owner-occupied share of households | 48.1% | 70.8% |
| Median household income | $62,543 | $66,508 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $405,300 | $415,300 |
| Median age | 41.3 | 55.6 |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 23.2% | 33.6% |
| Owner-occupied homes valued at $300,000 or more | 1,188 of 1,517 (78.3%) | 1,059 of 1,348 (78.6%) |
| Business establishments, ZIPs 97540 and 97535 | 166 | 129 |
A plain reading
The two towns look different. Talent has about half of its households renting and a median age of 41.3. Phoenix is mostly owners and much older, with a median age of 55.6 and a third of residents aged 65 or older. Both have a median owner-occupied home value above $400,000, and nearly four in five owner-occupied homes are valued at $300,000 or more.
Both towns grew from the 2020 Census to the 2025 estimate. Both are small, so the survey figures carry wide margins of error, and the 2020 fire changed housing in both towns. Read the figures as a guide, not an exact count.
How we got these numbers
- Households, tenure, income, home value, age and home-value brackets are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for 2020-2024 (tables B11001, B25003, B19013, B25077, B01002, B01001 and B25075), read through Census Reporter. Dollar figures are in 2024 dollars.
- Population is the 2020 Census count and the Portland State University Population Research Center certified estimate for July 1, 2025.
- Business counts are from Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023. They are by ZIP code, not by city limit, and leave out businesses with no paid employees.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year data (2020-2024)
- Census ZIP Code Business Patterns
- Portland State University Population Research Center
- Talent, Oregon (Wikipedia)
- Phoenix, Oregon (Wikipedia)
Also from Oregon Living: Oregon Living in East Medford, Oregon · Oregon Living in Ashland, Oregon · Oregon Living in Jacksonville, Oregon.