Not a newcomers review
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8/6/2015
Here is my .02 on Bend. I see a bunch of reviews about how "great" Bend is, mostly from people that have moved recently from overpriced areas..ie, California, NYC, Chicago. I'd venture to guess these folks had decent equity in their homes and surely found Bend much cheaper than their previous CITY. If you didn't have a home before moving here, good luck. The vast majority of jobs here WILL NOT allow you to buy a home..hell, good luck finding someplace to rent. "Poverty with a view" has been a joke of sorts for decades in Bend..there is a reason why. People come here on vacation during the summer and fall in love, it's easy to do..them they move here and find life harder than vacation..$15/hr is a good wage here..yes, a good wage. Sure, there are better paying jobs but good luck. I'm sure many of the positive reviews about Bend are from Dr.s or business owners..not the majority.
I won't talk about all the great outdoor activities here..that's been covered too many times. What the average worker here doesn't get to do much is take advantage of those great things..we all work too much. If you are in th medical field you'll do just fine here, maybe start you're own business or telecommute. Someone that moved here from Orange Co. in 2010 struck it rich! The housing market here was in the dumps and I'm sure they did well on their house in CA. Probably paid cash for their home here and now don't have to work...good for you.
If you're looking to move here, don't ask someone dining anywhere downtown..ask a person working in the field you work. If you work in the service industry at all, expect some grumbling. If you are a Dr., still expect to make 15% less that even in Portland or most places. If you're moving from the Midwest expect sticker shock on the homes here..be ready for $200-$300sqft..not $100sqft. Really look at neighborhoods, not just the Westside..where can you afford to live.
The roads, mostly in disrepair and not getting better. "300 days of sun"..Keep believing the tourist brochures..they print those for tourists..not locals. There are still plenty of gloomy days here even if the Summer is pretty great.
The bottom line, I've lived in Bend for 30 years and have a hard time figuring out where my next home will be, the day I move is soon approaching. I love most things about this town/city, but the recent boom in growth is ruining it for me. There are amazing things to do here, just be prepared to have less opportunity for growth here, wait for tables just like the city, sharing your new found home with thousands of tourists and grumpy locals like me. You surely will run into folks that have moved here in the last 5-7 years..they are not locals, they moved here during the last boom that started around 2002. If they don't remember what Bend was like before the Parkway or the Old Mill, then they don't know pre-patagonia mecca Bend.
Move here or don't, thought I'd share a few words from someone not living off a trust fund, retirement or a 5%ers income.
Brent | Bend, OR