clubs
Athletic Clubs
Not surprisingly for Central Oregon’s active and healthy lifestyle, there are a number of athletic clubs from which 
to choose. Among them are: The Athletic Club of Bend, Bend Metro Park & Recreation District, The Body Shop (Bend), Cascade Fitness (Sisters), Cascade Nautilus (Redmond), Extreme Fitness Center (Prineville), Curves for Women (Bend and Redmond), Downtown Athletic Club (Redmond), InClimb Rock Gym (Bend), Juniper Swim and Fitness Center, Madras Women Only Gym, New Energy Fitness Center (Madras), Powerhouse Gym (Bend and Prineville), and Prineville Athletic Club. A number of these clubs offer full services including indoor/outdoor swimming and tennis, basketball, volleyball, handball, raquetball, weight rooms, stationary cycling, aerobic classes, rock climbing, and a host of other fitness specialities.
Civic Service Clubs
In keeping with Oregon’s reputation for an active and engaged citizenry, the region has a plethora of civic, trade, and hobby organizations – more than 250 in the three-county area - in which to become involved. For example, if you are interested in working with children or youth, there are two dozen active groups such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Camp Fire Boys and Girls Council, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Child Care Council, Boys and Girls Scouts, 4-H clubs, as well as a number of locally founded programs and organizations. If you prefer a civic club with a familiar name, Rotary, Lions, Kiwanas, Elks, and a host of others are active throughout the region.
Golf & Country Clubs/Courses
Almost too numerous to mention, Central Oregon has been called the “Palm Springs” of the Pacific Northwest with dozens of courses – many in the nation’s top 100 to challenge the best of golfers. Among the clubs and courses are Aspen Lakes, Awbrey Glen Golf Club, Bend Golf & Country Club, Broken Top Golf Club, Crosswater Golf Club, Prineville Golf and Country Club, Lost Tracks Golf Club, The Greens at Redmond, Aspen Lakes Golf Club, Black Butte Golf Club, Crooked River Golf Club, Eagle Crest Golf Club, Juniper Golf Club, Kah-Nee-Ta Resort, Meadow Lakes Golf Club, Mountain High Golf Course, Nine Peaks Golf Course, Orion Greens, Quail Run Golf Course, River’s Edge Golf Course, Sunriver Resort (Crosswater, Sunriver Woodlands, Sunriver Meadows), Golf Club at Black Butte Ranch, Tokatee Golf Club, Pronghorn, and Widgi Creek Golf Club. See more on our Golf Course page.
Housing
Despite being a hot spot for tourists and mecca for destination resorts, world class golfing and skiing, the region has maintained a diverse range of housing options, many of them affordability, particularly with the housing marketing adjustment in 2007-08. It is one of the reasons Bend beat out other areas to be in the Top 5 Places in the U.S. to Retire according to Money Magazine.
Recreation
With over 2.5 million acres of public land/open space, outdoor recreation enthusiasts from professional to beginner find outstanding opportunities for hiking, biking (mountain and road), skiing (cross country, downhill, telemark and water), snowboarding, motor cross riding, kayaking, white water rafting, rock climbing, hiking, mountaineering, fishing, hunting, camping, and horseback riding. These opportunities are too numerous to list in detail but you can find more information about recreating in the region by visiting the Tourism Pages on our website or to the Central Oregon Visitors Association.
For information on crime statistics and air quality, visit our page on Public Safety.
Churches
With dozens of denominations/faiths represented by churches in Central Oregon, religious diversity provides the foundation of family living for which Oregon is known. These include:
| Churches in Central Oregon |
| Anglican |
Christian |
Friends |
Nazarene |
| Apostolic |
Christian Science |
Full Gospel |
Non-Denominational |
| Assemblies of God |
Church of Christ |
Jewish |
Pentecostal |
| Baptist |
Community |
Jehovah's Witness |
Presbyterian |
| Church of God |
Episcopal |
Lutheran |
Seventh Day Adventist |
| Calvary Chapel |
Evangelical |
Methodist |
|
| Catholic |
Foursquare |
Mormon |
|
Climate
Perhaps one of the leading reasons people are flocking to the region is our climate. With only an average of 10-15 inches of precipitation per year, warm days and cool nights it appeals to many from areas with a reputation for rain (Portland, Seattle) as well as those used to sunny, warmer climates such as (San Jose and Los Angeles). And when it comes to sun, Central Oregon has more sunny days than Houston, Texas, and just 14% less sun than Phoenix, Arizona.
However unlike Arizona, summer temperatures in Central Oregon range from an average high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of 44 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters average highs are in the 40s to lows in the 20s. Interestingly, every community in Central Oregon has its own variations of temperature and precipitation, relative to its elevation and proximity to the mountains.
| Elevation |
| Bend |
3623' |
| La Pine |
4300' |
| Madras |
2242' |
| Prineville |
2868' |
| Redmond |
3077' |
| Sisters |
3200' |
| Warm Springs |
1575' |
In the Publications section, EDCO Profiles and Data - Demographic, Consumer Expenditure, and Business/Workforce from Oregon Prospector may also be helpful.