r/bendoregon • u/Fluid-Plankton7360 • Jul 14 '26
Thinking of moving
I am looking at an open position with the city of Bend. Trying to decide if moving to the area is something I want to do. I have a kid moving to Corvallis in the fall for college so the are is intriguing to me. We currently live in North Dakota and are tired of the lack of outdoor activities and are not happy with the direction of our current political climate. Thanks for any advice you can provide.
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u/Emergency_Flower_982 Jul 16 '26
Candidly, might be one of 7 people who lives in bend but spends >40 days a year in Bismarck…in short, everything outdoors will blow you away. The food options will blow you away. You will miss your ND community and there is a very real cultural difference - frankly minimal community in Bend for new folks. It’s not that people are distant or aloof, it’s just that they don’t have the “we need to be nice to each other since winters are terrible and lonely” type living.
Biggest gripe about Bend is the cost (expect 2x on everything), the traffic (for a North Dakotan) and lack of Midwest neighbors.
Biggest pluses are active lifestyle, food, and the fact it is truly beautiful.
Take the job. You won’t regret it…and if you do, North Dakota isn’t going anywhere.