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Pros and Cons of Living in Bend, Oregon: It Depends on Your Perspective
You've already read the articles about the pros and cons of living in Bend. You know about the sunshine, mountains and outdoor recreation. You've also read about expensive housing, wildfire smoke and winter snow.
But some of those "pros and cons" are really a matter of perspective.
Housing prices. Expensive compared with what? Someone moving from the Bay Area or Seattle may react very differently to Bend prices than someone coming from parts of the Midwest.
Traffic. Someone who has lived in Bend for decades may tell you traffic has become terrible. Bend didn't get its first traffic control lights until 1952, and as late as 1960 the city was still debating additional downtown signals, one of which was located at the corner of Wall and Franklin - just one block away from where Bend Premier Real Estate is located today! Someone arriving from a major metropolitan area may have a very different definition of "traffic."
Bike lanes. Bend has been investing in bicycle infrastructure, and people have opinions about it! If getting around by bike matters to you, you may appreciate the changes. If you're primarily a driver, you may have a different reaction.
Wildfire smoke. That's a con.
Snow. If skiing is one reason you're moving to Bend, snow may be a plus. If you dislike driving in it, you'll see things differently. Get snow tires.
Bend's size. People sometimes call Bend a "town," but it is most definitely a city. Bend itself has more than 100,000 residents and functions as the regional hub for a Central Oregon population of more than 250,000. Yet it's compact enough that you can often get where you're going in 15 minutes.
Before deciding whether Bend's pros outweigh its cons, ask a slightly different question:
What are the pros and cons of living in Bend for you? If you're thinking about moving to Bend, I'd love to hear what matters to you. You can learn a little more about me here.
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