Bend cost of living
Prices in the Bend, OR metro area run at 103.6 against a national average of 100, ranking it #39 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 110.0.
What drives the number
Prices in Bend run at 103.6 where the national average is 100, so about 3.6 per cent above the country as a whole. It ranks #39 of 387 metro areas. It is priced almost exactly like Oregon as a whole, which is unusual for a metro area.
The parts move together here rather than pulling against each other: goods at 105.3, rents at 110.0, other services at 105.0. When the components agree, the headline number is a fair summary of the whole cost of living rather than a proxy for rent. Goods at 105.3 are themselves 5.3 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
The practical use of this number is converting pay between places. Take any salary quoted here, divide by 103.6, multiply by 100, and you have what it would need to be nationally to leave you equally well off.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Bend is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,750 | $34,220 | $33,031 | $30,480 |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,290 | $37,050 | $35,763 | $34,580 |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,590 | $90,170 | $87,037 | $102,950 |
| Registered Nurses | 2,290 | $130,150 | $125,627 | $93,600 |
| Cashiers | 2,270 | $35,490 | $34,257 | $31,190 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,800 | $44,500 | $42,954 | $37,090 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,640 | $39,430 | $38,060 | $34,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,630 | $32,690 | $31,554 | $33,760 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 103.6.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | 105.4 | 125.1 | #28 |
| Corvallis | 104.0 | 114.4 | #36 |
| Salem | 103.6 | 110.3 | #41 |
| Albany | 102.1 | 101.1 | #57 |
| Eugene-Springfield | 101.6 | 98.4 | #60 |
| Medford | 101.4 | 97.7 | #62 |
Bend: common questions
Is Bend expensive?
Prices are 3.6% above the national average, a parity of 103.6 where the country is 100. It ranks #39 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Oregon as a whole it is 0.2 points more expensive.
What salary do you need in Bend?
The median worker there earns $50,620, which buys what $48,861 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 110.0 against goods at 105.3. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.