Rochester, New York

Flour City innovation hub

Northeast Rochester, MN Metro

U.S. News (2025)

#83 Best Places to Live

Livability (2025)

#68 Top 100 Best Places to Live

WhereAtHome Score

71.9

C-

out of 100

Overview

Rochester offers affordable living with strong universities, healthcare institutions, and a growing tech sector. The former home of Kodak and Xerox has reinvented itself around optics, healthcare, and education. Access to Finger Lakes wine country adds lifestyle appeal.

Key Highlights

  • Very affordable for Northeast metro
  • Strong universities (Rochester, RIT)
  • Growing healthcare and tech sectors
  • Access to Finger Lakes wine country
  • Historic and cultural institutions
  • Four distinct seasons

Key Metrics

Population 2024

211,328

Source: Census ACS

Median Home Value 2026

$249,152

Source: Zillow ZHVI

Median Household Income 2023

$42,124

Source: Census ACS

Average Commute 2023

21.2 min

Source: Census ACS

Walk Score 2025

59

Source: Walk Score

Crime Level 2024

High

Source: FBI CDE

School Rating

2025

C- (4.2/10)

Source: Curated

Cost of Living Index 2025

88 (100 = U.S. avg)

Source: Curated

2024 Presidential Election

Monroe County (county-level results)

60%
40%
Democrat 214,757
Republican 145,940
Leans D+19.1

Source: County-level results from MIT Election Data + Science Lab. Learn more

Climate

Summer High

81°F

Winter Low

19°F

Annual Rainfall

34"

Sunny Days

160

Amenities & Infrastructure

120+ Parks

Green spaces and recreation

6 Major Hospitals

Healthcare access

6 Universities

Higher education institutions

Public Transit Available

Bus, rail, or metro service

Major Employers

University of Rochester Rochester Regional Health Wegmans Xerox

Score Breakdown

6 of 6 score factors available. Missing factors are excluded and available weights are rescaled.

Housing Affordability 82.4/100

Median home value relative to national average (Weight: 20%)

Income vs Housing 46.6/100

How affordable housing is relative to local incomes (Weight: 20%)

Commute Time 69.2/100

Average commute time compared to national average (Weight: 15%)

Crime 20/100

Overall crime levels based on FBI crime statistics (Weight: 20%)

Walkability 59/100

Walk Score — ease of daily errands on foot (Weight: 15%)

Purchasing Power 42.1/100

Median income relative to national average, adjusted for cost of living (Weight: 10%)

WhereAtHome Score 71.9

Location

Rochester, NY (43.1566, -77.6088)
View on Google Maps

Compare with another city

Start Comparison

Last Updated: 2026-07-01

Data sourced from U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow, FBI Crime Data Explorer, Walk Score, and Niche.

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