Is Bend a Good Place to Live? 10 Pros and Cons to Consider

Nestled among nan mountains successful nan bosom of Central Oregon, Bend is simply a picturesque metropolis known for its stunning earthy landscapes, outdoor recreational activities, and celebrated nutrient scene. The metropolis has go a celebrated destination for those seeking a precocious value of life successful a beautiful earthy setting. With a thriving arts and civilization segment and a mild, sunny climate, living successful Bend offers galore benefits for residents. However, for illustration immoderate city, location are besides drawbacks. So, is Bend a bully spot to live?

If you’re reasoning of buying a location successful Bend aliases renting an apartment successful nan city, publication connected for 10 pros and cons of surviving successful this outdoor haven. Rest assured, there’s thing for everyone. 

5 pros of surviving successful Bend

Bend is celebrated for its scenery and weather, but there’s a batch much to nan metropolis than that. Here are 5 reasons why Bend tin beryllium a bully spot to live.

1. Beautiful scenery

Bend is located successful nan gorgeous precocious godforsaken of cardinal Oregon, providing residents pinch entree to stunning earthy scenery, including snow-capped mountains, crystal clear rivers, and verdant forests. It’s a cleanable spot for outdoor enthusiasts and quality lovers.

Every play besides offers thing new. Summers are lukewarm and dry, while winters are cool and often snowy. Living successful Bend allows you to acquisition each 4 seasons to their fullest. 

2. Endless outdoor recreation

Bend offers an array of outdoor recreational activities successful each season, specified arsenic cross-country skiing, snowboarding, hiking, stone climbing, fishing, and camping, and more. 

Consider exploring nan adjacent Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which features unsocial geological features specified arsenic lava tubes and volcanic craters. If you’re into golf, tee disconnected astatine 1 of nan city’s galore title courses. Thrill-seekers tin moreover effort their manus astatine zip-lining aliases bungee jumping. There’s thing for everyone successful Bend.

3. Mild, sunny weather

Bend boasts complete 300 days of sunshine per year, and mostly has a mild and barren climate. Summers mean successful nan 70s, pinch lukewarm days and acold nights. Winter days are typically successful nan 30s and whitethorn beryllium snowy, though nan area receives little snowfall than different parts of Oregon. 

4. Thriving arts and culture

Bend has a vibrant arts and civilization scene, pinch galore galleries, museums, and euphony venues, showcasing section and nationalist artists, musicians, and performers. 

The Bend Art Center offers workshops and classes successful various mediums, while nan High Desert Museum showcases nan earthy and taste history of nan region. The Tower Theatre hosts a assortment of performances, from euphony and theatre to movie and comedy. The Old Mill District features outdoor concerts and events passim nan summer, and nan Bend Film Festival draws filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from each complete nan world. There is nary shortage of things to do successful Bend during each play of nan year. 

5. Lively nutrient scene

Bend has go a destination for nutrient and brew lovers, pinch over 20 breweries and taprooms serving a assortment of trade beers. Additionally, nan city’s farm-to-table restaurants and nutrient carts connection a divers and delicious culinary experience. In nan fall, nan city’s celebrated ale trail attracts brew enthusiasts from each complete nan world. 

5 cons of surviving successful Bend

Like pinch immoderate city, location are cons of surviving successful Bend. Here are nan 5 astir important for you to know.

1. High costs of living 

Bend’s fame has driven up nan costs of living, peculiarly successful position of housing, healthcare, and transportation. In fact, location prices successful Bend are higher than successful Portland, which is already an costly city. The median waste price for a location successful Bend is $679,450, which is complete $200,000 higher than Portland and astir double nan national median. This has made it difficult for immoderate residents to spend a location successful nan city. 

If you’re looking for affordable lodging successful Bend, renting mightiness beryllium your champion option, arsenic rent prices successful Bend are akin to Portland and beneath nan nationalist average. The mean rent for a 1-bedroom flat successful Bend is $1,550, while nan mean successful Portland is $1,587. In addition, Bend has less lodging options than ample coastal cities, allowing for less options for different budgets. 

If you’re reasoning of relocating to Bend, support location prices successful mind and make judge you cognize nan steps to buying a house. 

2. Traffic congestion

With a increasing organization and a constricted roadworthy system, Bend is experiencing accrued postulation congestion, peculiarly during highest tourer seasons, which tin lead to longer commute times.

To alleviate immoderate of nan postulation congestion, nan metropolis has taken steps to amended nationalist proscription options, including expanding nan number of autobus routes and introducing a bike-sharing program. Additionally, nan metropolis has implemented measures to promote replacement modes of transportation, specified arsenic stepping and biking, including expanding motorcycle lanes and building much pedestrian-friendly intersections. 

3. Wildfire risk

There is simply a risk of wildfire successful Bend. The metropolis is located successful a wildfire-prone region, and they are a interest during nan summertime and early fall. In caller years, respective wildfires person caused important harm to nan area, resulting successful evacuations and demolition of homes and businesses. 

The metropolis is moving to mitigate nan rumor done wood thinning and clearing to trim substance for fires, creating defensible abstraction astir homes and buildings, and establishing emergency removal plans. 

4. Harsh winters

While Bend offers galore wintertime activities, nan ambiance tin beryllium harsh for those unaccustomed to acold temperatures and dense snowfall. Winter storms tin origin roadworthy closures, powerfulness outages, and different inconveniences.

To hole for Bend’s harsh winters, it’s important to put successful due wintertime gear, including lukewarm clothing, boots, and a dense coat. Additionally, if you bought a caller home, make judge to winterize it to forestall power nonaccomplishment and protect against imaginable harm from snowfall and crystal accumulation. Residents whitethorn besides want to put successful a generator aliases different backup powerfulness root successful lawsuit of powerfulness outages.

5. Distance from larger cities

Bend is located respective hours distant from larger cities for illustration Portland and Eugene, which tin make it challenging for residents to entree definite amenities and services. Job opportunities whitethorn besides beryllium harder to travel by, arsenic commuting to a adjacent metropolis isn’t an option.