Medford

Vast scenery surrounds the Century Village subdivision of Medford, from the country club and golf courses to the vineyards. “It’s in close proximity to grocery stores, restaurants and the hospital, with Interstate 5 heading north and south,” says Toni Anderberg, a real estate specialist with John L. Scott Real Estate. Century Village residents enjoy numerous conveniences, like that of the adjacent Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and its neighboring medical offices, while also being zoned for one of the best elementary schools in the district. Wildflowers dot the grassy field in Holmes Park during the spring months, with the muted outlines of the Siskiyou Mountains grazing the clouds in the distance. The northwest corner of the park has two pickleball courts, a half-basketball court and a playground, while the remainder of the park’s trail system is part of an orienteering course with 15 waypoints for those refining their navigation skills. Century Village is enveloped by green spaces on three of its four sides. In the north, Rogue Valley Country Club offers golfers 27 holes, which are divided into a championship-level, 18-hole course and a more relaxed nine-hole course. The club’s membership also includes access to other amenities, like its heated pool, tennis and pickleball courts, batting cages, a sand volleyball court and a modern fitness center. Quail Point Golf Course and Centennial Golf Club in the south of the neighborhood offer more tee times with one-time green fees. Students in Century Park have access to one of the top-rated elementary schools in the district—Hoover Elementary School, which earns a B-plus from Niche. Students may then attend Oakdale Middle School, which opened its doors to students in the fall of 2023. The building was originally constructed in the 1930s, making it one of Medford’s most historic sites. After significant renovations, it welcomed hundreds of sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Oakdale Middle was created in an effort to decongest Medford elementary schools, offering sixth grade to accommodate the district’s middle schools. Teenagers may attend North Medford High School, which earns a six out of 10 from Great Schools.. In conjunction with career and technical education courses in disciplines like architectural drafting and design, marketing and health sciences, the school also features award-winning music and drama programs. Wine enthusiasts will appreciate Century Village’s central location in Southern Oregon’s wine country. “It’s close to the restaurants that are popular and wineries like RoxyAnn and the Padigan winery that’s close by,” says Anderberg. RoxyAnn, one of the area’s most popular wineries, has heated outdoor seating, but the indoor tasting room—called the Honor Barn—offers more history. Dating back to 1918, it was used for the sale of fresh fruit, landing a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Customers were trusted to pay for their produce without supervision, following the honor system, which it is named after. Located in a medical office park below Asante Regional Medical Center, Shoji’s is a Japanese teppanyaki grill where the chefs cook in front of patrons, offering both dinner and a show. Residents can head to the neighborhood Albertsons for groceries and other essentials. Century Village is composed of nearly 200 ranch-style homes that sprawl on lots behind winding sidewalks, many of which lead to cul-de-sacs. Almost all the homes in the neighborhood have one level, though there are a few Colonial Revival and Craftsman-inspired, two-story builds. Homes built in the early 1980s come with three or four bedrooms and cost between $400,000 and $515,000. Wide driveways with extra room to park a recreational vehicle (RV) are convenient for those eager to explore Oregon nature. Because of the region's dense forests and Southern Oregon's dry, hot summers, the neighborhood has a higher risk of potential wildfires and decreased air quality, which the city manages through laws like weed abatement. Barnett Road, the southern border of Century Village, is the community’s connection to Downtown Medford, about 3.5 miles away. It also takes drivers to the Asante Rogue Medical Center in the west and to Albertsons in the east. Drivers can take Phoenix Road north to RoxyAnn Winery or to Padigan—another popular local winery adjacent to Centennial Golf Club—in the south. Following Phoenix Road to its southern point will lead drivers to Interstate 5, which connects Century Village to Ashland and the California border.

The residential streets of Laurelhurst, with mature trees proudly shading sidewalks, might suggest calm suburbia, but the neighborhood is anything but removed from Medford. “Stevens and Jackson Street are pretty busy, but between those streets is an older part of the city,” says Jamie Batte, the owner and principal broker of TruHOME. “There are older homes and smaller homes, and the hospital is within walking distance.” The Providence Medford Medical Center and Hospital are less than a mile north of Laurelhurst, which also enjoys direct access to a shopping center to its west. Across the interstate from downtown, Laurelhurst residents are never far from city conveniences. Donut Country on Jackson Street perks up slow mornings with coffee and crispy donuts. Those with a sweet tooth have a wide selection of treats to pick from, neatly arranged in a glass case at the payment counter. Like Donut Country, other shopping and dining is well within reach of Laurelhurst. “It’s walking distance to a lot of things,” Batte says. “Movie theaters are a few blocks away, and that whole [Medford Center] shopping center is right there.” The Village at Medford Center provides a Cinemark Tinseltown Medford 15 movie theater and the Collaborative Theatre Project, where theater enthusiasts can enjoy a new production almost every month. The shopping center is also home to Punky’s Diner and Pies, a retro 1950s-inspired diner with a crisp white interior and cherry red booths. The diner serves All-American breakfast all day, including corned beef hash, fluffy waffles, grits and old-fashioned potato cakes, but it’s known for its deep-dish pies, handmade by the founder, Punky, or her granddaughter. Patrons are instructed to “EAT PIE” by a siren-red sign on the wall, and they can choose between double-crusted, cream and Dutch options. Across the parking lot, shoppers can pick up essentials at Safeway. The Laurelhurst neighborhood, which is less than a square mile, consists of gridded residential streets dotted with a few small businesses on its perimeter. Its quiet streets feature small bungalows and cottages that all but hug each other on the sides. Homes come adorned with Craftsman touches, while patio furniture and small play sets in front yards give a glimpse into the daily lives of neighbors. Sidewalks make getting around the neighborhood—or to Hedrick Middle School—safe and easy. Homes cost between $260,000 and $350,000—significantly below the average home value of $440,880 across the Medford metro area—coming with two bedrooms. Though many of the homes were built in the 1960s, others were constructed in the early 2000s, adding variety to the housing mix. Jackson Street runs along the southern border of Laurelhurst, bringing residents to downtown Medford in less than five minutes by car. Before it reaches the heart of town, Jackson Street passes Safeway and the Medford Center shopping area, as well as Hawthorne Park. The neighborhood’s eastern border consists of Crater Lake Avenue, which leads north to Providence Medford Medical Center and further to White City. Interstate 5 is nearby as well, running through the state of Oregon and south past the California border. The youngest students in Laurelhurst may attend Roosevelt Elementary School, which earns a C from Niche, before potentially attending B-rated Hedrick Middle School, located immediately east of the neighborhood. Northwest Medford High School serves teenagers in the area, earning a six out of 10 rating on Great Schools. The school boasts an average teacher retention rate of 89% over the past three years, and 84% of teachers at the school have more than three years of experience in the classroom. The high school participates in the district’s Pathways program, empowering students to choose a field they would like to explore through several courses, complete a resume, as well as a postsecondary career plan for that field. Pathways offered at North Medford High include broadcast journalism, computer science, K-12 education, public service and performing arts. Following Jackson Street to the west, residents will wind up at Hawthorne Park, which features a large playground for younger children, a basketball court as well as a few skate ramps shaded by the Interstate 5 bridge. Dog owners can bring their four-legged friends to the mulched off-leash dog park, while children can do the same at the nearby splash pad. About five minutes in the car will bring residents to Donahue Frohnmayer Park, where two playgrounds stand side-by-side—one shaded by a light tan tarp for sunnier days—surrounded by asphalt walking trails.

An established neighborhood with single-level homes that reveal a backdrop of distant Oregon mountains, Lawnview also includes the freshly developed Wilkshire Terrace community—built in the 2020s. Though the neighborhood has just a handful of streets, it’s surrounded by well-maintained Medford parks and playgrounds, and is a quick drive from more expansive lakes and dense forests, as well. “We are surrounded by lakes,” says Rachel White, a realtor with eXp Realty, LLC, who grew up in Medford. “Whatever direction you’re in, you have access to lakes, mountains, hiking and trails.” Single-level homes give way to unconstructed views of rolling mountains in the distance. Winding roads with wide sidewalks end in cul-de-sacs, where homeowners enjoy large lots with room for a shed, a garden or a pool. Ranch-style homes fronted with brick or vinyl siding usually come with three bedrooms, fetching between $400,000 and $480,000. Though most Lawnview homes were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the new constructions that comprise the Wilkshire Terrace community on Roberts Road were constructed in 2023. New builds have smart home features and multiple gables on a single level, costing between $490,000 and $515,000. Hot summers, an arid climate and surrounding forests can potentially cause wildfires to spread throughout the region, leaving the neighborhood at high risk. In preparation of this, the city of Medford provides evacuation checklists and neighborhood evacuation travel routes, among other resources. Though Lawnview may not have its own specific neighborhood park, it’s surrounded by community green spaces. “Cedar Links Park is close to that area, which is popular,” White says. “A lot of people walk there [from the neighborhood.]” Cedar Links Park opened northeast of the neighborhood in May 2021, with two freshly paved pickleball courts, a half basketball court and a playground rope climbing feature for children to scale. The five-acre park connects to a 2-mile running trail that traverses the neighboring Cedar Landing development. In 2018, the city also upgraded and expanded Kennedy Park northwest of the neighborhood, inviting locals to play a friendly round of disc golf on the eight-acre green space. Finally, kids will find a refreshing escape from the summer heat on the splash pad in Lone Pine Park. Students in Lawnview may attend Lone Pine Elementary School before moving on to Hedrick Middle School, both of which earn B-grades from Niche. North Medford High School earns a six out of 10 from Great Schools and features a planetarium and an observatory as part of its astronomy program. The high school also offers Career Pathway programs centered around fields like journalism, computer science, K-12 education, public service and performing arts, among others. Completing a pathway equates to taking three credits of related courses, as well as drafting a resume and a postsecondary career plan. For a meal out, residents can take Roberts Road to the Grand View Shopping Center, where they will find international cuisine options and Joe’s Sports Bar and Grill. Fans enjoy game day nachos, potato skins or craft burgers and sandwiches while cheering their favorite teams on several screens—which are surrounded by sports memorabilia—or try their own luck at the slot machines. Next door, Maguey Cocina and Tequilas has a variety of tequila, cocktails, tacos, enchiladas, authentic soups and other Mexican dishes. Dunbar Farms Tasting Room or Roxy Ann Winery are local wineries and vineyards in the renowned wine region. Locals have their choice when it comes to groceries with Safeway, Market of Choice and Fred Meyer all near the highway. Roberts Road, one of the neighborhood's primary streets, runs west to restaurants like Joe’s Sports Bar and Grill and Maguey Cocina and Tequilas. The thoroughfare also leads to grocery options like Fred Meyer and Market of Choice, as well as Rogue Valley Mall. Residents can hop on the local Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) bus on Springbrook Road to get around the city. Those faring out of town can take Interstate 5 north toward Portland or south to California. Otherwise, the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport—about a 10-minute drive from Lawnview—offers direct flights to Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver and Los Angeles.