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We just spent a fantastic week backpacking in the Sisters Wilderness which included some time in Bend before the trip. It really is a beautiful area and can see the appeal so close the mountains. The town is very interesting, nothing like I've seen in other areas of the PNW. It reminds me more of a boutique mountain town area or place like Boulder, Colorado. Although Boulder is connected to much larger markets for jobs on the way to Denver. Whereas Bend seems to be like a island unto itself in terms of other comparable or larger sized cities. Being from CA, I also couldn't help notice how it seemed very similar to smaller California towns as well. Though infrastructure (street sizes and layouts) is very poor to support the number of drivers (residents and visitors).
We know some retirees who just moved there from the Bay Area and seem to like. But I was surprised to see so many young people and can't help but wonder what they do for a living? Is the job market mostly geared toward the service industry (medical, food, real estate, construction, public works, etc...) and the outdoor tourist trade (kayaking, rafting tours, biking, ski rentals, clothing, hotels)? The closest town I think it is like in the PNW is probably Hood River. Although HR does seem to have a small but growing tech scene and is more accessible to a larger city.
It would seem like young adults would struggle to launch into careers there unless in one of these niche areas. And for mid-career professionals, they would have a hard time not being underemployed.
Is there any kind of tech scene there to speak of? Maybe a few startups? Is Bend business friendly? And if there are some decent jobs, do salaries tend to keep pace with the local COL? Just curious.
I know teachers who live in Bend and spend their whole careers driving out to places like Madras or Prineville for work, hoping each year to land one of the scarce openings that come up in Bend schools and never actually manage to do it. So that's one small data point in terms of the job market.
On the other hand, I have a cousin who had a very successful medical career in Bend who just left to move to the Phoenix area basically because that's where all their kids got married and moved to.
Bend is WAY WAY more isolated than Boulder which is more or less a suburb of Denver. A better comparison might be a place like Flagstaff Arizona or maybe some place like Missoula or Bozeman MT, except those are college towns like Flagstaff and Bend is not. I expect Wenatchee WA will be the "next Bend" in the Pacific Northwest if it isn't already. Bend is 10x larger than Hood River so that isn't a great comparison.
I know teachers who live in Bend and spend their whole careers driving out to places like Madras or Prineville for work, hoping each year to land one of the scarce openings that come up in Bend schools and never actually manage to do it. So that's one small data point in terms of the job market.
On the other hand, I have a cousin who had a very successful medical career in Bend who just left to move to the Phoenix area basically because that's where all their kids got married and moved to.
Bend is WAY WAY more isolated than Boulder which is more or less a suburb of Denver. A better comparison might be a place like Flagstaff Arizona or maybe some place like Missoula or Bozeman MT, except those are college towns like Flagstaff and Bend is not. I expect Wenatchee WA will be the "next Bend" in the Pacific Northwest if it isn't already. Bend is 10x larger than Hood River so that isn't a great comparison.
Interesting data point from your teacher friend. It sounds like some professions really struggle to make ends meet vs. others, perhaps, like the medical field. If there are a lot of retirees then that would make more sense. There is likely a higher demand for getting good medical services in the area vs. expanding school programs. Its seems like younger families with school age kids may be the ones who struggle more there.
In comparing the cities, I guess I was thinking more in terms of the overall feel of the town or vibe rather than its actual size. Its night and day different from the local counterparts east of the cascades like Madras or Redmond, for example. It feels much more like a trendy, boutique type town, possible more upscale similar Boulder or HR. Yes, and maybe Flagstaff as well. I wouldn't go so far as to compare it with resort mountain towns such as Aspen, Vail, Mammoth, Tahoe, etc... But it does have a bit of that vibe.
Bend also has a college town feel with the number of young people walking around even though it is not really known for that. Though with the OSU satellite - Cascade Campus, it could grow more in that regard. I think it would be much more interesting than some of the other east Cascade college towns like Pullman, for example.
I've never visited Wenachee but my wife has a former coworker friend who moved out there years ago. So I'm looking forward to visiting it.
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 09-23-2019 at 12:24 AM..
It does boggle my mind that young people can find jobs that support the high price of housing in Bend.
I moved from Western WA from a neighborhood where housing prices were comparable to Bend, but had a LOT better tech job prospects. But that meant I am not one of the retirees that come up from CA with a few million of house equity to buy an upscale house and support the higher house prices, dumping a chunk of the money into a Porsche Cayenne/Audi Qsomething/Range Rover/Tesla/BMW.
And that dumping of equity is what is making it tough for people to get by in this isolated town.
I can speak to the Tech job availability.....or lack thereof, after trying to get a Tech oriented mechanical engineering job here for a couple years, before giving up and deciding retiring was the only way to make the move. Bend prides itself on its Tech Startup industry, which is actually a joke. A Big Startup here is 9 people, with most "startups" being a CEO and a coder working on an App. Not exactly companies that grow a solid base of good paying tech jobs.
The couple of decent sized tech companies in town know you have no options, so they grossly underpay their tech workers. Even with the low pay, those tech jobs are lusted after and so turnover is extremely low. Even the "Big" HyrdoFlask company is really just a handful of people that spend most of their time in China where they do all their manufacturing. And the big aircraft company startup that got huge incentives from Bend by promising 400 plus jobs, is still staggering along with distant promises and about 40 people, on a good week.
My observation is that the people that do well in this town, that aren't bankrolled by CA real estate, are the ones that work hard to create their own business, filling a need that others overlook, and providing top quality customer service in a town that depends on word-of-mouth for business referral.
My wife was a co-owner of a booming Spa business in Western WA, providing the skin care side of the business. In the small town of Bend there are 90, yes NINETY, places to compete with, and an aesthetician school in town that cranks out another dozen to twenty licensed providers every year. My wife now is semi-retired, pretty much giving up on trying to compete in the overcrowded market.
Bottom line...... Mostly service sector jobs in the town, with CA parents buying their lucky kids their house in town so the parents can be close to their grandkids. Research carefully before moving to Bend and expecting to land a job that supports living here.
It does boggle my mind that young people can find jobs that support the high price of housing in Bend.
I moved from Western WA from a neighborhood where housing prices were comparable to Bend, but had a LOT better tech job prospects. But that meant I am not one of the retirees that come up from CA with a few million of house equity to buy an upscale house and support the higher house prices, dumping a chunk of the money into a Porsche Cayenne/Audi Qsomething/Range Rover/Tesla/BMW.
And that dumping of equity is what is making it tough for people to get by in this isolated town.
I can speak to the Tech job availability.....or lack thereof, after trying to get a Tech oriented mechanical engineering job here for a couple years, before giving up and deciding retiring was the only way to make the move. Bend prides itself on its Tech Startup industry, which is actually a joke. A Big Startup here is 9 people, with most "startups" being a CEO and a coder working on an App. Not exactly companies that grow a solid base of good paying tech jobs.
The couple of decent sized tech companies in town know you have no options, so they grossly underpay their tech workers. Even with the low pay, those tech jobs are lusted after and so turnover is extremely low. Even the "Big" HyrdoFlask company is really just a handful of people that spend most of their time in China where they do all their manufacturing. And the big aircraft company startup that got huge incentives from Bend by promising 400 plus jobs, is still staggering along with distant promises and about 40 people, on a good week.
My observation is that the people that do well in this town, that aren't bankrolled by CA real estate, are the ones that work hard to create their own business, filling a need that others overlook, and providing top quality customer service in a town that depends on word-of-mouth for business referral.
My wife was a co-owner of a booming Spa business in Western WA, providing the skin care side of the business. In the small town of Bend there are 90, yes NINETY, places to compete with, and an aesthetician school in town that cranks out another dozen to twenty licensed providers every year. My wife now is semi-retired, pretty much giving up on trying to compete in the overcrowded market.
Bottom line...... Mostly service sector jobs in the town, with CA parents buying their lucky kids their house in town so the parents can be close to their grandkids. Research carefully before moving to Bend and expecting to land a job that supports living here.
Thanks, Thom. I appreciate your local perspective especially coming from a tech background. But the story of your wife's experience is telling as well. It seems like a rough job market for many there even with years of experience coming from other better job markets.
Based upon what you've said, it sounds like many young professionals as well as mid-career folks are underpaid as a result of the imbalanced supply/demand curve.
The advice you provide is solid if planing a move to Bend. We're not, BTW, just curious how folks make ends meet there. It seems like it would be more difficult than expected if not having something lined up beforehand. And growing up there might lead to the having to go elsewhere to launch one's career.
Real Estate does seem high when compared with local wages. I would think one really needs a good niche for it to be affordable. Or as you said, bringing in enough equity/retirement dollars to sustain the lifestyle. But, yes, I can see how that adversely affects the real estate market for others. That has been the same story played out in many other popular destinations throughout the country. It was the same when we lived in CO over a decade ago. I don't see that ever changing. Some folks simply have more dollars to spend at retirement and can really move anywhere that suits their lifestyle whether it be Bend, Bellingham, Boise, Aspen, Monterey (where we moved from due to high housing costs), etc... Supply and demand always wins in these cases.
On a side note, I really enjoy the pictures that you share here and glad to see you enjoying the area. Here's one from the top of South Sister which I climbed with my son a couple of weeks ago. Man, that was a tough climb but well worth the views. It felt like we were birds and could see all the way to WA.
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 09-23-2019 at 10:31 AM..
IMO the high housing costs have more to do with the City of Bend marketing itself through Visit Bend which created a large influx of tourists while marketing Bend to expensive markets like SF. On top of that they managed to get a write-up of Bend in many outdoor and travel publications which put Bend on the map of outdoor enthusiasts. Add daily pictures showing the beauty of the area on social media and you end up with the perfect storm where demand exceeds supply.
IMO the high housing costs have more to do with the City of Bend marketing itself through Visit Bend which created a large influx of tourists while marketing Bend to expensive markets like SF. On top of that they managed to get a write-up of Bend in many outdoor and travel publications which put Bend on the map of outdoor enthusiasts. Add daily pictures showing the beauty of the area on social media and you end up with the perfect storm where demand exceeds supply.
Interesting, so its more of Bend being the victim of its own successful marketing campaigns along with notoriety through social media. Unlike social media phenomenons such as 'Area 51' where they come from all over to see it, them go home, folks come to visit Bend and actually like it enough to want to stay.
I would think this same social phenomenon is true for other desirable places in OR, WA or anywhere else in the US. The selfie posts on instagram, FB and twitter certainly make news and information much more widely accessible than was even possible before.
Since that ship has already sailed a long time ago, I guess the big question is where will Bend go from here in terms of planning for its future? Do they know what to do with the success of their own marketing campaigns? Can the city help shape the narrative of what Bend will become in the next 10+ years with a masterplan of some kind including improvements to infrastructure? Or will it simply react to the influx of new residents as the population continues to expand and traffic comes to a halt?
Whether proactive or reactive, it would seem this growth at least presents the opportunities for more jobs. Though they will most likely be geared toward service industries in support of the new residents.
Now if Bend grows as an academic center with its OSU campus, that could bring more education jobs in as well.
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 09-24-2019 at 12:32 PM..
That's a good read describing what you mentioned earlier. Obviously the author feels she is partly responsible. But then what? IMO, her articles are most likely a minuscule drop in the bucket compared to decades of promotion and make very little difference in the end. Here's something from 1927 hyping the notion of Bend having 300 days of sunshine a year.
"Within Easy Driving Distance Radius of Bend There are More Natural Attractions for the Tourists Than in the Whole Southern California... BEND IS SUCH A CITY, Over 300 Days of Sunshine a Year!" -- So where did “300 days of sunshine” come from, anyway?
This hype has been going on for almost 100 years. I think the real questions still remain as the author mentioned. While part of the solution may be at the personal level to pick up some trash when you see it or sponsor a larger clean up day, there needs to be top down work in the form of city planning. Without that, the good intentions of some, as great as they may be, will only go so far.
Bottom line is this: Bend is growing and will continue to grow at a faster rate than most cities in OR. The streets won't rebuild themselves. How about more parks, schools, etc...? Where will the service workers live? Will there be some form of affordable housing options designed for teachers, police, fire fighters? There needs to be a good urban planning to handle all these things while still preserving the natural environment.
Here's a related article talking about the complexities of addressing these problems along with the high turn over of city officials which hasn't helped.
We dealt with this a lot in Monterey, CA which is right next door to one of the top scenic wonders of the state along the Big Sur coastline. With Carmel and Pebble Beach right next door, the cities had to do a lot to preserve the natural beauty of the areas with thousands of visitors coming through the area on a regular basis. We even had cruise ships docking in the Monterey Bay. But here's the crazy part. Monterey's growth rate is flat as is Carmel. Basically, there is no new development allowed or very little in the area to speak of. I don't know if that is the answer for every area like this. But their strict building codes helped to preserve things as they were for the years we lived there. Land is more limited, of course.
With Bend there is the potential for huge urban sprawl with all that land to the east, north and south. Regardless, there still needs to be protections in place for its core near the river along with revitalization and most likely gentrification will occur.
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 09-24-2019 at 11:43 PM..
It accelerated at a huge rate when Visit Bend started spending millions per year to promote Bend to a much larger audience as a year round tourist destination.
Marketing Bend to bring more tourists to the city has become a hot button issue with many citizens, but the efforts of Visit Bend are undeniably working. This year, Visit Bend is projecting to collect $9.3 million in transit room tax (TRT) of which approximately $6 million will go to the city’s general fund and $373,000 to fund fire and police operations.
Quote:
Up from $3.10 million in 2018, Visit Bend’s 2019 budget is aiming for a modest increase to $3.17 million, a $2.9 million ask from the city which also includes their own 263,297 in projected retail sales and advertising.
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