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Springfield vs Albany

40 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+8.5 pts in Albany) and property tax bill (+23% in Albany).

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Springfield, OROne of the healthiest townsOregon · 61,499 people
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Albany, ORA history townOregon · 56,839 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

SpringfieldOne of the healthiest towns
Health58% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$417K typical home16% below the OR typical home Outdoors#63 most walkable in OR12 miles of trails across 33 parks and preserves All about Springfield →
AlbanyA history town
HistorySettled in 184620 places on the National Register HealthHealthier than 50%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Schools#37 for schools in ORof 121 towns All about Albany →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Growth since 2010+8.5 pts
Albany has grown faster since 2010
Albany +12.6%Springfield +4.1%
Property tax bill+23%
Tax bills are bigger in Albany
Albany $3,973Springfield $3,225
Household income+14%
Households in Albany earn more
Albany $78,114Springfield $68,761
Work from home+4.4 pts
More people work from home in Albany
Albany 14.2%Springfield 9.8%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Albany places higher on 14 of 26 OR lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Oregon ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
C−SpringfieldSafer than 19% of U.S. towns C+AlbanySafer than 37% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−SpringfieldBetter than 17% of districts in the state BAlbanyBetter than 55% of districts in the state
Health
C+SpringfieldHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns B−AlbanyHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns
11Springfield
14Albany

Lists won, of 26 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 139 towns #124#38 Most new homesHousing · 82 towns #40#75 Fastest growingGrowth · 140 towns #110#53 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 65 towns #20#44 Most remote workersWork · 141 towns #101#59 SafestSafety · 73 towns #55#35 Fewest smokersHealth · 147 towns #109#72 Most library borrowingLibraries · 36 towns #25#17

Left end = #1 in Oregon. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Springfield’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $150 more a month in Albany

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Springfield$2,500/mo
Typical home $417K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.90% · or rent about $1,258/mo · Housing →
Albany$2,650/mo
Typical home $434K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.02% · or rent about $1,372/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Albany and Springfield.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
SpringfieldAlbany
Snow a year3″3″
January low35°F34°F
July high84°F83°F
Growing season (days)220d194d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)85th77th
Outdoors & history
SpringfieldAlbany
Trails12 mi10 mi
Conserved land3.4%3.4%
Settled18851846
National Register places920
Archive photos12—
Famous people born here12—
Community
SpringfieldAlbany
Library hours a week43 hrs56 hrs
Colleges in town—1
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

40 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

SpringfieldORAlbanyOR
Springfield ↔ Albany40 miles apart
Who commutes between them
366 Albany residents work in Springfield (1.5% of its workers)
157 Springfield residents work in Albany (0.6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Albany →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

SpringfieldAlbany
People
Population 61,499Highest 56,839Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.1%Lowest OR: +10.6% +12.6%Highest OR: +10.6%
Median age 37.4±1.1Lowest 7% below OR 37.7±1.3Highest 7% below OR
Albany and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21%±1.4Lowest OR: 19.9% 24.5%±1.5Highest OR: 19.9%
Age 65+ 16.3%±1.2Lowest OR: 19.1% 16.8%±1.1Highest OR: 19.1%
Albany and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.4%Lowest OR: 36.8% 29.4%Highest OR: 36.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.7%±0.7Highest OR: 5.7% 4.5%±0.6Lowest OR: 5.7%
Springfield and Albany are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $68,761±$3kLowest 17% below OR $78,114±$4kHighest 6% below OR
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $358,700±$8kLowest 25% below OR $389,200±$10kHighest 19% below OR
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,258±$44Lowest 18% below OR $1,372±$47Highest 10% below OR
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,225Lowest 17% below OR $3,973Highest about the OR average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.2%±4.1Lowest OR: 52.5% 55.9%±5.9Highest OR: 52.5%
Albany and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.9%Highest OR: 11.9% 13.5%Lowest OR: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 55%Lowest OR: 63.3% 58.9%Highest OR: 63.3%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Lowest 5 yrs older than OR 1983Highest 2 yrs newer than OR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 16% below OR 21 minHighest 9% below OR
Work from home 9.8%±1.5Lowest OR: 19% 14.2%±1.6Highest OR: 19%
Work in townworking residents 25.9%Lowest 28.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miLowest 10.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.05Highest 0.85Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Eugene (42%)Corvallis (15%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Albany1% work in Springfield
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.4% 3.4%
Trailsmapped miles 12.0 miHighest 10.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 33Highest 26Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 99.9Highest 94.8Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #55 of 121 in OR#37 of 121 in OR
School district Springfield SD 19ODE YCEP District · Greater Albany Public SD 8J
High school in town Springfield High SchoolSouth Albany High School
Students per teacherat that high school 18.7Lowest 21.9Highest
Oregon average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Springfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Springfield’s Town Square.

Albany neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Albany’s Town Square.

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Bordering Springfield

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Eugene179,591 people · $460K homes

Towns like Springfield

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Medford86,315 people · $417K homes
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Gresham112,378 people · $459K homes
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Grants Pass39,311 people · $383K homes
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Keizer39,082 people · $434K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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