Is Central Oregon a Good Place to Live to Work Remotely or Work From Home? All the Answers Here!
Working from home, otherwise known as remote work or telecommuting, is a more popular option than ever. And it’s no surprise that Central Oregon is among the country's top destinations for families, individuals and nomads who can make a living working outside of their employer’s central office to move to–this area attracts people who value easy access to outdoor activities and adventures, beautiful scenery, and a laid-back, autonomous lifestyle.
First let’s define the difference between “remote” workers (tele-communicators) 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 WHF group.
Advantages to remote work:
Less/no commute time, saves everyone time, money, stress
Can do most of our activities from home these days, ie exercise, order in food/groceries, video meetings, dr visits/tele-health
Autonomy
People have more control over the structure and management of their time and more control over their work environment, ie standing desk, sunlight, desk chair
Allows more flexibility for people with caregiving responsibilities
WFH gives lends itself to structured interactions (we have to set up meetings)
Can work from anywhere, allows for people to meet and collaborate with people outside of their office that they wouldn't normally
Disadvantages:
Lack of boundaries between work and personal life
Need dedicated (extra) spaces and specialized equipment/furniture
Non sequential format for work (taking breaks to deal with home life stuff) is an adjustment in productivity
Can get lonely/isolating, need to pay attention to mental health
Can not have in the moment 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 Central Oregon a good place to work remotely?
Yes, but not for all the conventional reasons listed above.
Bend has fiber and decent internet, but it is by no means ranked at the top of any lists for connectivity.
Cost of living is relative to where you are moving from. Transplants from California think Bend is a bargain. If you move from Texas, you might feel differently. General cost of living in Bend is average, but cost of housing is above average.
Bend does excel in this category. We have at least 5 co-working spaces, 2 public libraries, and several dozen coffee shops.
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 may not stand out statistically, but those with some foresight find and seek out this city for the excellent quality of life, plenty of outdoor activities, beautiful scenery and a cost of living and connectivity that aligns with the types of remote work job opportunities that are most prevalent here. The mild climate, proximity to Redmond Airport, outdoor activities for year-round fun, a clean and vibrant city, and a fun local food and spirits scene have made Central Oregon a magnet for telecommuters since before it was cool.
Ready to make Central Oregon your next WFH destination?
We can help! The majority of our clients are searching for homes with us from other cities and states. We help our clients feel comfortable make competitive offers sight unseen, through the use of comprehensive video tours, unparalleled communication, industry professional connections, and deal analysis.