Lincoln → Bend
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Lincoln to Bend is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.6 to 103.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $244/mo.
- +$3,905
- BLS median salary higher in Bend
- 217 to 335
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.5:1 to 17.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,776
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Bend
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.
Pros of Moving
- + $4K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 12% higher cost of living
- - $244/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 91.6 to 103.6, so the same paycheck buys less in Bend (ratio 1.13). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $244/mo ($2,928/yr) from $1,141 in Lincoln to $1,385 in Bend.
Lincoln still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Bend sits #276 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Lincoln is #24/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,905 higher ($65,897 → $69,802). Labor-market size: 174,050 tracked jobs at origin vs 102,030 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Nebraska scores 67 (C, #16/51) vs Oregon at 41 (F, #49/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 65
- Property tax
- 62
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 66
- Income tax
- 62
- Property tax
- 64
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 14
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 Lincoln to see what you'd need to earn in Bend to maintain the same purchasing power.
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