Jobs, pay and daily life in Bend, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Bend is a city in Oregon with 103,390 residents. The median household earns $96,394 a year and the median rent is $1,883 a month, which is 23.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Bend, OR metropolitan area, where BLS counts 108,240 jobs.
How Bend compares. Among the 60 largest places in Oregon, Bend is #6 by population, #4 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #9 for college degrees (#1 = most), #51 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Deschutes County, is #7 of 36 counties for average pay ($66,229).
Bend has 103,390 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.4% of the population of Oregon. It covers 35 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,940 people per square mile. The median age is 40.9, about the same as the state median (40.9 against 40.4).
The median gross rent is $1,883 a month (rent plus utilities), 23% above the state median ($1,883 against $1,525). Over a year that is 23.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $718,400, which is 7.5 times the median household income ($96,394); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 61.7% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (61.7% against 63.3%).
The Bend, OR metropolitan area has 108,240 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $54,570 a year, 7% above the national median ($54,570 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (12,170 jobs, median $38,410); office and administrative support (12,150 jobs, median $50,080); sales and related (9,810 jobs, median $43,890). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (1.4 times) and food preparation and serving related (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($124,220) and management ($109,820). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Deschutes County was 3.9%. 68.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Deschutes County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 63.5% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 2.4% walk, 24.8% work from home. 3.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 67% below the state average (3.8% against 11.6%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
52.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44% above the state share (52.9% against 36.8%). 4.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 51% below the state share (4.8% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 8.8%, 26% below the state rate (8.8% against 11.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 66°F (18.7°C), and the coolest is Dec at 29°F (-1.5°C). About 618 mm (24 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (109 mm) and Jul the driest (8 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Redmond (15 miles, rent 14% lower); Prineville (28 miles, rent 28% lower); Springfield (83 miles, rent 33% lower); Lebanon (86 miles, rent 30% lower). Rent differences are against Bend; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Oregon (788) →State guide: OregonCountry guideDeschutes CountyOregon rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 788 federal postings open in Oregon (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,680 | 1.37 | $35,460 | $31,620 | $44,410 | +14% |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,190 | 1.18 | $37,720 | $32,820 | $53,130 | +7% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,500 | 1.06 | $135,010 | $93,660 | $158,530 | +38% |
| Cashiers | 2,390 | 1.11 | $36,290 | $31,930 | $48,060 | +10% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,260 | 0.93 | $93,660 | $51,450 | $201,150 | -11% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,990 | 1.16 | $48,420 | $33,340 | $63,900 | +8% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,870 | 0.95 | $45,840 | $35,660 | $49,080 | +23% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,750 | 1.11 | $50,480 | $31,500 | $76,310 | +43% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,530 | 1.56 | $44,540 | $36,440 | $57,060 | +19% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,450 | 0.94 | $43,050 | $34,630 | $53,360 | +17% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,420 | 1.48 | $54,900 | $37,880 | $76,740 | +8% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,400 | 0.47 | $43,140 | $38,380 | $50,010 | +21% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,290 | 1.92 | $50,640 | $42,940 | $60,630 | +10% |
| Carpenters | 1,180 | 2.53 | $61,640 | $33,010 | $101,120 | +2% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,170 | 1.19 | $43,550 | $30,460 | $55,040 | +18% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,120 | 0.78 | $61,220 | $49,680 | $75,940 | +4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,110 | 0.94 | $49,890 | $37,060 | $62,510 | +5% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,100 | 1.13 | $47,060 | $41,370 | $63,110 | +5% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 1,050 | 1.59 | $46,300 | $36,100 | $59,310 | +18% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,040 | 1.22 | $48,050 | $36,030 | $72,870 | +9% |
These figures are for the whole Bend, OR metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $54,570 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 14.7% |
| Retail trade | 12.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.2% |
| Manufacturing | 7.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.6% |
| Construction | 6.4% |
| Other services | 4.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.2% |
| Public administration | 3.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.6% |
| Information | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Bend lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deschutes County | 206,334 | $16,683 million | $80,853 | 93,866 | 11,562 | $66,229 | +1.9% | 3.9% | 111,956 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 15,784 | 18.9% | $79,397 | 1.17 |
| Accommodation and food services | 11,829 | 14.2% | $34,129 | 1.39 |
| Retail trade | 11,742 | 14.1% | $43,027 | 1.25 |
| Construction | 7,779 | 9.3% | $75,126 | 1.58 |
| Manufacturing | 6,379 | 7.7% | $65,729 | 0.83 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,740 | 6.9% | $107,150 | 0.88 |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,184 | 5.0% | $51,868 | 0.76 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3,538 | 4.2% | $49,825 | 1.25 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,856 | 3.4% | $30,803 | 1.81 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,382 | 2.9% | $88,312 | 0.64 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,106 | 2.5% | $63,337 | 0.53 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,094 | 2.5% | $115,568 | 0.55 |
| Information | 1,677 | 2.0% | $133,729 | 0.95 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,462 | 1.8% | $56,511 | 1.00 |
| Educational services | 1,316 | 1.6% | $42,449 | 0.68 |
| Management of companies | 1,217 | 1.5% | $119,498 | 0.77 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 781 | 0.9% | $60,864 | 1.03 |
| Utilities | 389 | 0.5% | $115,097 | 1.09 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 62 | 0.1% | $75,989 | 0.17 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 63.5% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 24.8% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 3.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,394 |
| Income per person | $58,652 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,883 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.4% |
| Median home value | $718,400 |
| Homeowners | 61.7% |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 103.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $54,570 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 9.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 40.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 52.9% |
| Born abroad | 4.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 68.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.9 | 30 | 82 |
| Feb | -0.2 | 32 | 61 |
| Mar | 2.3 | 36 | 69 |
| Apr | 5.1 | 41 | 53 |
| May | 10.0 | 50 | 47 |
| Jun | 13.8 | 57 | 32 |
| Jul | 18.7 | 66 | 8 |
| Aug | 17.9 | 64 | 11 |
| Sep | 13.7 | 57 | 22 |
| Oct | 7.6 | 46 | 46 |
| Nov | 2.0 | 36 | 78 |
| Dec | -1.5 | 29 | 109 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond | OR | 15 mi | 36,092 | $84,164 | $1,628 |
| Prineville | OR | 28 mi | 11,470 | $72,980 | $1,355 |
| Springfield | OR | 83 mi | 61,499 | $68,761 | $1,258 |
| Lebanon | OR | 86 mi | 19,344 | $63,176 | $1,312 |
| Cottage Grove | OR | 89 mi | 10,698 | $80,875 | $1,254 |
| Eugene | OR | 90 mi | 179,591 | $66,562 | $1,402 |
| Albany | OR | 97 mi | 56,839 | $78,114 | $1,372 |
| Four Corners | OR | 102 mi | 16,275 | $69,669 | $1,416 |
| Salem | OR | 104 mi | 178,865 | $75,487 | $1,400 |
| Corvallis | OR | 104 mi | 59,960 | $65,012 | $1,391 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
103,390 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,883 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.4% of the median household income.
$96,394 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.9% (BLS county, Deschutes County (latest month 2026M09)).
Oregon. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.