The extras in Bend are outstanding. The cost of living here is not. (Joe Kline/The Bulletin file)

The job market in Bend ranks No. 1 in the country. So says SmartAsset, a financial information and advice website.

Unemployment was low as of 2023, only 3.16%. Median earnings were good at $51,382. Incomes grew. Commute times were good with the median at 16 minutes. About 75% of workers had private health insurance through their employers. And there are many other reasons SmartAsset picked Bend in its announcement earlier this month. As a sort of confirmation of the pull of that market, U-Haul says Bend was one of the top 25 places in the country for in-migration for 2024.

That is all grand.

Except: Most rents are not affordable for people who live in Bend when you consider the median annual income. And Bend is becoming more income-stratified. From 2019-2023, the largest growth in population among income groups were people making the most money, more than 120% of area median income. People making less money, less than 80% of area median income,  declined. Households making less decreased by 16% over the time period.

A snapshot of statistics is just a snapshot of statistics. The city is wonderful in so many ways, if you are affluent or can somehow make it work.

You can see more of this sort of data here in a presentation from city staff: tinyurl.com/Bendstatistics.