Salary comparison
Recreation Workers: Bellingham vs Bend
Bend, OR pays about 3.6% more for recreation workers on paper — $46,230 vs $44,640. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Bend comes out ahead by $1,590 a year in real buying power.
Bellingham, WA
$44,640
$39,780
$47,770
$21.46
100
$44,640/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Bend, OR
$46,230
$41,390
$46,230
$22.23
100
$46,230/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,590 a year (3.6%) in favor of Bend. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bellingham runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Bend sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Bend is the better deal by $1,590 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Bellingham to Bend for this role, the raise needs to beat 3.6% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do recreation workers earn more, Bellingham or Bend?
Bend pays $46,230 on median — about 3.6% more than Bellingham ($44,640). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Bend. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Bend gives you roughly$46,230 of real buying power versus $44,640 in the other city.