Bend makes Oregon’s top 10 on 4 lists
Bend is ranked on 37 lists against the 147 Oregon towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 4 and the top quarter on 16.
More snow than 96% of Oregon
Not better or worse, just Bend’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
The lists Bend does best on
Each list ranks every OR town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Bend marked.
1 spot from the top 3 for low obesity
Lists where Bend sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Bend lands in the top half on 20 of 23 lists
Each dot is Bend’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in OR, the right end is last. Areas where Bend does best come first.
Bend out-ranks every neighbor it can be compared with
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Where Bend lands in every OR ranking
40 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Bethany · 99 / 100
#9
Lowest obesity#1 Eagle Crest · 25%
#4
Fewest smokers#1 Lake Oswego · 6%
#18
Most active#1 West Haven-Sylvan · 14%
#5
Fewest uninsured#1 Lake Oswego · 4%
#26
Lowest depression#1 Bethany · 20%
#14
Closest to a top hospital#1 Hood River · 0.3 mi
#16 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Eagle Crest · 35%
#16
Most new homes#1 Phoenix · 21.7 per 1,000
#7
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Baker City · +77.2%
#19
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Wood Village · 8.2 per home
#52 
People
Most educated#1 Lake Oswego · 74.8%
#17
Youngest#1 Nyssa · 25.1
#86
Oldest#1 Eagle Crest · 67.7
#60
Most residents 65+#1 Eagle Crest · 60.3%
#72
Most kids#1 Nyssa · 40.6%
#93 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Eagle Crest · 45.7%
#61
Most trails#1 Jacksonville · 5.6 mi / sq mi
#12
Most walkable#1 King City · 270 / sq mi
#25 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Lakeview · 7.3 min
#22 
Safety
Safest#1 Gervais · 10.2
#24 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Burns · 2.3 yrs
#138
E
Cheapest rent#1 Estacada · $682/mo
#131
Lowest property tax#1 Tri-City · $1,418/yr
#106
Rent easiest to afford#1 Junction City · 31.5%
#15 
The number on the right is Bend’s spot. All of Oregon’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every OR list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.