Redmond, Oregon has a branding problem: most people think of it as “that town near Bend with the airport.” That’s an increasingly outdated framing. Redmond has been the fastest-growing city in Central Oregon for years, and it’s building an identity that stands on its own. The price advantage over Bend is real, the airport is a genuine convenience, and the community has a blue-collar authenticity that many transplants find refreshing. Here’s what living in Redmond actually looks like.
Why Redmond Is Growing So Fast
Redmond’s population has roughly doubled since 2000, sitting at approximately 38,000 residents as of 2025. Several factors are driving the growth:
- Price differential: The median home price in Redmond runs approximately $100,000 to $150,000 below Bend’s median. For a family stretching to buy their first home, that gap represents a significantly lower monthly payment and potentially years less savings needed for a down payment.
- Airport location: Roberts Field (RDM) sits in Redmond, giving residents a five to ten-minute drive to the terminal compared to Bend’s twenty to twenty-five minutes. For frequent travelers, this is a genuine lifestyle advantage.
- Employment growth: Redmond has attracted distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, and healthcare expansion. Facebook (Meta) built a data center nearby. The industrial base is more diverse than Bend’s tourism-heavy economy.
- Available land: Unlike Bend, which is constrained by its Urban Growth Boundary and federal forest land, Redmond has more room to expand. This translates to more new construction options and larger lots for the same money.
The Price Advantage, In Actual Numbers
Let’s compare what your money buys in Redmond versus Bend, using mid-2025 data:
Entry-level home (3 bed, 2 bath, 1,400 sq ft): Redmond $375,000 to $425,000; Bend $500,000 to $575,000
Mid-range family home (4 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,200 sq ft): Redmond $475,000 to $550,000; Bend $625,000 to $750,000
Newer construction: Redmond $425,000 to $600,000; Bend $575,000 to $800,000
Rental (2-bedroom apartment): Redmond $1,400 to $1,800; Bend $1,800 to $2,400
Property taxes in Deschutes County apply equally to both cities, averaging about 0.8% of assessed value. The savings are almost entirely in purchase price. For current listings, check the homes for sale page.
Redmond’s Neighborhoods
Redmond doesn’t have the dramatic neighborhood variation of Bend, but there are distinct areas worth knowing about.
Downtown and the Core
Downtown Redmond has undergone a quiet revival. The main street area along 6th Street has added restaurants, a brewery, coffee shops, and small retail. Older homes near downtown are the most affordable options in the city, often in the $300,000 to $400,000 range for homes built in the 1960s through 1980s. These tend to be smaller lots with mature landscaping.
The trade-off: some of these neighborhoods are rougher around the edges than what you’d find on Bend’s west side. But the bones are good, and the walkability to downtown amenities is improving.
West Redmond (Toward Bend)
The western corridor along Helmholtz Way and the new developments stretching toward the highway are where most of the newer construction is happening. Master-planned communities offer homes in the $425,000 to $600,000 range with modern layouts, community parks, and newer school facilities nearby.
This area gives you the closest commute to Bend (about 15 minutes to Bend’s east side) while keeping Redmond prices. For commuters, it’s the sweet spot.
South Redmond
The area south of town toward the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and extending toward the airport has a mix of established neighborhoods and acreage properties. If you want a half-acre or more, this is where to look. Properties with outbuildings, shop space, and room for animals are common in the $500,000 to $750,000 range.
East and North Redmond
The east side has historically been more agricultural, with larger lots transitioning to residential development. Newer subdivisions offer some of the most affordable new construction in all of Central Oregon. North Redmond along Highway 97 toward Terrebonne provides access to Smith Rock State Park and has a more rural character.
Explore all the neighborhoods on our communities page.
The Commute to Bend
Many Redmond residents work in Bend, so let’s be specific about the commute.
Distance: About 16 miles via Highway 97.
Non-peak drive time: 18 to 22 minutes.
Rush hour (7:30 to 8:30 AM, 4:30 to 5:30 PM): 25 to 35 minutes. The bottleneck is the 97/20 interchange and entry into Bend’s north end.
Winter: Add 10 to 20 minutes on snowy or icy days. Highway 97 between Redmond and Bend is generally well-maintained, but the stretch through the juniper flats can get icy and wind-blown.
The commute is manageable and predictable. It’s not Portland-level traffic. But it’s worth driving it during rush hour before committing, because what feels like nothing on a Sunday feels longer when you do it 250 times a year.
Employment in Redmond
Redmond’s job market has a different flavor than Bend’s, and in some ways it’s more practical.
- Healthcare: St. Charles Redmond campus provides steady employment. Several specialty clinics and dental offices have opened as the population has grown.
- Technology and data centers: The Meta (Facebook) data center south of town employs hundreds during construction phases and a smaller operations crew ongoing. Apple has also invested in the area. These facilities bring well-paying technical jobs and significant property tax revenue.
- Trades and construction: The building boom means electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and general contractors are in strong demand. Pay for skilled trades in the region runs $60,000 to $90,000 or more for experienced workers.
- Manufacturing and distribution: Redmond has more industrial and warehouse space than Bend, attracting distribution operations for companies serving the region.
- Agriculture: The surrounding area maintains a working agricultural economy, including nurseries, seed potato farms, and livestock operations.
- Retail and services: As the population grows, so does demand for retail, restaurant, and service workers. These positions tend to pay $15 to $20 per hour.
Schools in Redmond
The Redmond School District serves about 7,500 students. It’s smaller than Bend-La Pine and has historically scored slightly below Bend’s averages on standardized tests, though the gap has been narrowing as the city invests in new facilities and programs.
Elementary schools: Several newer elementary schools in the west and south neighborhoods offer modern facilities. Sage Elementary and Tom McCall Elementary are among the higher-rated options.
Middle and high schools: Ridgeview High School, which opened in 2012, serves the growing west side of the city with strong facilities and a good range of extracurricular programs. Redmond High School is the original high school, centrally located with established sports programs and a Career and Technical Education center.
Higher education: Central Oregon Community College (COCC) has a Redmond campus offering classes and workforce development programs. OSU-Cascades in Bend is a 20-minute drive.
Outdoor Recreation Access from Redmond
Redmond’s outdoor access is different from Bend’s but still strong:
- Smith Rock State Park: 15 minutes north. Internationally renowned rock climbing, excellent hiking, and one of the most photographed spots in Oregon. You can walk to the base of the Crooked River canyon in under an hour from leaving your driveway.
- Mt. Bachelor: About 40 minutes from central Redmond. Farther than from Bend, but close enough for regular skiing.
- Cline Falls and the Deschutes River: Several river access points are within ten minutes of town for fishing, paddling, and floating.
- Dry Canyon: A walking and running trail that cuts through the middle of town, offering a quick outdoor break without leaving city limits.
- The Badlands: A protected wilderness area east of Redmond with desert hiking trails. Less crowded than Bend’s trail systems because most visitors skip it.
Community Character
Redmond has a fundamentally different personality than Bend. Where Bend has evolved into an outdoor lifestyle and tourism destination, Redmond retains more of a working-class, agricultural community vibe. You’ll see more pickups than Subarus, more feed stores than yoga studios.
This is a feature, not a bug, for many people. The community is less performative about its “lifestyle” and more straightforward. Annual events like the Deschutes County Fair and the Redmond Air Show reflect the city’s practical, unpretentious character.
The town is also more politically diverse than Bend. You’ll find a wider range of viewpoints, which either appeals to you or doesn’t, but it’s worth knowing in advance.
Who Redmond Is Great For
Redmond tends to be the best fit for:
- First-time home buyers who want Central Oregon but can’t hit Bend’s price point
- Families who prioritize space, a garage, and a yard over walkability to breweries
- Frequent travelers who value living five minutes from the airport
- Trade professionals who benefit from Redmond’s stronger industrial job base
- Remote workers who want the Central Oregon lifestyle at a lower cost (the internet infrastructure is comparable to Bend’s)
- People who prefer a less tourist-heavy atmosphere compared to Bend’s summer and winter crowds
Weather and Climate in Redmond
Redmond sits at about 3,080 feet elevation, slightly lower than Bend, and the climate is marginally drier and warmer in summer. The high desert landscape is more pronounced on the east side of town, with juniper and sagebrush replacing the ponderosa pine that characterizes Bend’s west side.
Summer: Highs of 80 to 95 degrees with near-zero humidity. Evenings cool to the 40s and 50s. You’ll use air conditioning or a swamp cooler for about eight weeks. Wildfire smoke affects Redmond just as it does Bend, typically in late July through early September.
Winter: Redmond tends to get slightly less snow than Bend, averaging 20 to 30 inches per season, but temperatures can drop lower on clear nights because the terrain is flatter and more exposed. Morning lows in the single digits are not unusual in January. Wind chill makes it feel colder than the thermometer reads.
Spring and fall: The shoulder seasons are beautiful but variable. Spring can deliver 65-degree days followed by a late snow. Fall brings golden light, clear skies, and the first frost usually in late September or early October.
Healthcare in Redmond
St. Charles Redmond is a full-service hospital campus offering emergency care, surgery, imaging, and outpatient services. For a city of Redmond’s size, the healthcare access is better than average because the St. Charles Health System treats Redmond as a regional facility rather than a satellite clinic.
Primary care is more available in Redmond than in Bend. Several practices are accepting new patients, and wait times for initial appointments are typically shorter. Dental and vision providers have also expanded as the population has grown.
For specialized care (oncology, cardiology, complex orthopedics), you’ll likely be referred to St. Charles Bend or, for the most complex cases, to Portland. The 20-minute drive between Redmond and Bend makes this reasonable for most situations.
Terrebonne and the Smith Rock Area
Just north of Redmond, the small community of Terrebonne sits at the gateway to Smith Rock State Park. This area deserves mention because it attracts a specific type of buyer: people who want rural Central Oregon living with a climbing lifestyle.
Properties in Terrebonne are priced below Redmond’s core, often in the $300,000 to $500,000 range for homes on larger lots. The community has a general store, a few restaurants, and not much else. What it has is direct access to one of the most famous climbing destinations in North America, with hiking and trail running that rivals anything in the region.
The trade-off is a 10-minute drive into Redmond for groceries and services, more limited internet options, and a rural character that some love and others find too isolated. If Smith Rock is your primary reason for moving to Central Oregon, living in Terrebonne puts you ten minutes from the parking lot instead of thirty.
Practical Advice for Moving to Redmond
- Visit during winter. Redmond’s landscape is more exposed than Bend’s forested west side. If you’re comfortable with the wind, the open sky, and the cold, the rest of the year is a breeze.
- Drive the commute to Bend during rush hour. If your job is in Bend, experience the 7:45 AM highway drive before committing. It’s manageable, but it should be an informed decision.
- Explore the east side neighborhoods. Some of the best values in all of Central Oregon are in east and north Redmond, where new construction offers modern homes at prices that would be entry-level condos in Bend.
- Check school boundaries carefully. The Redmond School District has redrawn boundaries as new schools have opened, so don’t assume which school your children would attend based on neighborhood proximity alone.
- Get involved in the community. Redmond has a strong civic identity that’s distinct from Bend. The Deschutes County Fair, the Redmond Air Show, and local sports leagues are where you’ll meet your neighbors and build your network.
Redmond isn’t trying to be Bend, and that’s increasingly its greatest strength. It offers the Central Oregon lifestyle, climate, and mountain access at a more accessible price point with a community that’s still shaping its identity. Visit the housing market page for current data on Redmond pricing trends, or browse all Central Oregon cities to find the best fit for your family.