Living in Bend, OR
Small city in Oregon
Bend is a small city in Oregon, home to about 101,000 people, with 181,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
In short: Where high desert meets mountains: skiing, rivers and breweries. Popular with remote workers, and expensive for its size.
Is Bend a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Dog-friendly: 9 dog parks within 9 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 3 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Mild summers: highs around 80°F
- Safe: violent crime is 0.4× the US rate (FBI 2019)
👎 Cons
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Smaller job market: about 181,000 people live within 31 mi
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $692k, and rent is $2,480 a month
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Bend ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Bend: common questions
What is the cost of living in Bend?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $692k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,480 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 104, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Bend?
Oregon collects about $3,084 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.62% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Bend safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.4× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Bend?
Bend has cold winters: winter days average around 43°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 22″ of snow a year.
Does Bend get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 3 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.2 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Bend?
The nearest major airport is PDX, about 123 mi away.
How Bend scores
Each bar compares Bend with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Bend right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.