Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0Bend spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Bend’s city government spent $130.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,265 per resident. Water and other utilities ($11.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bend is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,081 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Bend’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,081 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 166 Oregon cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $879, and the middle half spent $544–$1,147. Bend spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($12 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Oregon cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bend itself left out).
About $1,265 per resident a year, or $3.47 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bend reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,081 · 2023: $1,154 · 2024: $1,265.
full-time in March 2025, up from 649 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,162 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.58% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bend’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bend’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bend →
Who’s in charge in Bend
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bend’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.bend.or.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 132 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (103,254).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Bend-La Pine Administrative School District 1
Bend’s K–12 school district, shared with La Pine. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,753 per pupil, $8,328 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Oregon districts overall: 38% local, 52% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bend’s votes are counted by county
Oregon reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bend alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Deschutes County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.2%67,928 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.4%55,430 votesOthers: 3.5% (4,418 votes).
Most votes in Deschutes County: Kamala D Harris
Oregon: Harris 55.3%, Trump 41.0%
100% of Bend lies in Deschutes County. Every 2024 race in Deschutes County is on the county’s page.
Deschutes County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bend.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.bend.or.us ↗
- 2Oregon HouseBend is split between 2 districts
- 3Oregon SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oregon
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bend compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Oregon cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bend | $1,081 | $4,162 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bend’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bend’s government
How much does Bend spend per resident?
About $1,265 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,081 was more than 71% of 166 Oregon cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bend?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,162 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.58% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.bend.or.us.
Who runs Bend’s government?
See ci.bend.or.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bend yet.
How did Bend vote in 2024?
Oregon counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bend alone. Deschutes County, where 100% of Bend lies, voted Harris 53.2%, Trump 43.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bend?
785 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $7.1M (about $85.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bend in the state legislature?
Bend is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Oregon Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 27 (Anthony Broadman). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bend’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →