Bend Lexington-Fayette

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Bend to Lexington-Fayette is strongly favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 103.6 to 92.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $113/mo.

-$1,166
BLS median salary lower in Lexington-Fayette
335 to 225
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.6:1 to 15.2:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$5,401
DOL infant care lower / yr in Lexington-Fayette

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 103.6 → 92.9
Rent Delta: -$113/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 11% lower cost of living
  • + $113/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 103.6 to 92.9, so each dollar covers more in Lexington-Fayette (ratio 0.90). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $113/mo ($1,356/yr) from $1,385 in Bend to $1,272 in Lexington-Fayette.

Lexington-Fayette leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Lexington-Fayette sits #150 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Bend is #276/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,166 lower ($69,802 → $68,636). Labor-market size: 102,030 tracked jobs at origin vs 274,970 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Kentucky scores 68 (C, #11/51) vs Oregon at 41 (F, #49/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Bend
Lexington-Fayette
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 103.6
RPP 92.9
Lexington-Fayette
Rent (2BR)
$1,385/mo
$1,272/mo
Lexington-Fayette
Wages
$69,802
$68,636
Bend
Crime
335 per 100K
225 per 100K
Lexington-Fayette
Schools
17.6:1
15.2:1
Lexington-Fayette
Childcare
$12,639/yr
$7,238/yr
Lexington-Fayette
Environment
2683 violations
1864 violations
Lexington-Fayette

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Oregon
41 F #49/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
64
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
14
Destination state · Kentucky
68 C #11/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
73
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
38

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Bend to see what you'd need to earn in Lexington-Fayette to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Lexington-Fayette
-

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026