Are you ready to work from home with a view like this?

Working from home, aka remote work or telecommuting, is more popular now than ever. 

And it’s no surprise that Central Oregon is among the country's top zoomtown destinations for families, individuals + digital nomads who can make a living working outside of the corporate office.

That’s because Bend attracts people who value easy access to outdoor activities and adventures, beautiful scenery, and a laid-back lifestyle.

First let’s define the difference between “remote” workers (telecommuters) and self-employed or independent contractors:

Remote Work is when an employer allows an employee to work from a location other than the traditional office space. Some of these workers work from home and others operate out of coffee shops, libraries, rent office space or utilize co-working spaces.

Self-Employed Individuals or independent contractors may operate their business out of their home or otherwise rent office space or travel to jobs sites. It is important to note that this category of workers make up a share of the remote work population, but does not necessarily put them in the WFH group.

Advantages to remote work:

• Less/no commute time, saves time, money, stress

• Can do most of our activities from home these days like exercise, ordering food and groceries, video meetings, telehealth

• Autonomy

• People have more control over the structure and management of their time and more control over their work environment with standing desks, natural sunlight, and comfy chairs

• Allows more flexibility for people with caregiving responsibilities

• WFH is more structured - we have to set up meetings

• Can work from anywhere, allows for people to meet and collaborate with people outside the office that they wouldn't normally interact with

Disadvantages of WFH:

• Lack of boundaries between work and personal life

• Need dedicated spaces and specialized equipment + furniture

• Non-sequential format for work (taking breaks to deal with home life stuff) is an adjustment in productivity; laundry anyone?!?

• Can get lonely and potentially feel isolating, mental health challenge

• Fewer spontaneous interactions with co-workers
  
  

What makes any given city a good place to work remotely?

1. Access to reliable internet: A city needs to have reliable and fast internet access in order for remote workers to be able to do their jobs effectively.

2. Cost of living: If you can choose to live anywhere despite where you work, why not make your dollar stretch.

3. Access to Housing: Your wage needs to support your cost of housing. Maybe you are a nomadic employee and travel in a mobile home, but if your lifestyle is the cause for you to stay put, you’ll want to weigh the value of living in a place where you can “vacation” in your off time.

4. Coworking Spaces: Number of co-working spaces can be an important factor to consider no matter your WFH situation. If you are traveling, it might be important to seek out cities that have these readily available and if you decide to buy a home where you work, maybe you don’t have enough space or you may prefer to have the separation and collaboration coworking spaces can provide.

So, is Bend, Oregon a good place to work remotely?

Yes, but not for all the conventional reasons listed above.

• Bend has fiber optic internet and Starlink connects well here as long as you’re not deep in the Ponderosa Pine trees.

• Cost of living is relative to where you are moving from. Transplants from California think Bend is a bargain. If you move from Arkansas, you might feel differently. General cost of living in Bend is average, but the cost of housing is above average.

• Bend does excel in offering a variety of co-working spaces. We have at least 5 co-working spaces, 2 public libraries, and several dozen coffee shops with strong coffee and WiFi signals.

The top fields for remote work in Central Oregon are:

• Software Developer Jobs

• Marketing Jobs

• Medical/Healthcare Jobs

• Accountants

• Teachers and Coaches

• Consultant

• Insurance Sales

So, Bend is a great remote work destination for those who value this city for its excellent quality of life, plenty of outdoor activities, beautiful scenery and average cost of living. 

The sunny four-season climate, proximity to Redmond Airport, outdoor activities for year-round fun, a clean and vibrant city, and an established local food + beer scene have made Bend, Oregon a magnet for remote workers and digital nomads long before it was cool.

Ready to make Central Oregon your next WFH destination?

We can help! 

We will help YOU feel comfortable making competitive offers in person or sight unseen, through our comprehensive video tours, detailed communication, industry professional connections, and local area expertise.

Give us a call or submit our Contact Form to chat more!