Portland, OR vs Bend, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR outspends Bend, OR by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $11,671, a 103% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bend, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 63/100 (grade C) for Portland, OR — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Bend, OR carries the lighter load at $597 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Portland, OR leads with parks and recreation at $2,477 per resident, while Bend, OR leads with fire protection at $509.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Portland, OR at 19% of total revenue, whereas Bend, OR relies most on other revenue at 15%.
Summary
Portland spends 102.8% more per capita than Bend ($12,003/person difference). Bend, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $96 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $3,599 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $2,279 |
| Other | $7,916 | $5,555 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $509 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $315 |
| Education | $0 | $34 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $1,287 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $471 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $2,520 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $645 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $1,020 |
| Other | $6,689 | $4,872 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.