Rochester, NY
Census place 3663000 · pop 208,772
Birthplace of Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb, and home to the susan B. Anthony House.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
38.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
27.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.26% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$47,213 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
34.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
3084 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
492 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
16.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
38.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
30.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,564/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
74/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
38 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$139,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Frequently asked
- Is Rochester, NY a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Rochester scores 42/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is homeownership. New York overall ranks #48 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Rochester, NY?
- Rochester reports 492 violent crimes per 100k and 3084 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Rochester, NY expensive to live in?
- Rochester has a median home value of $139,600 and typical rent around $1,564/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Rochester, NY?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (38.1%) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Rochester, NY best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($139,600) — 89/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Birthplace of Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb, and home to the susan B. Anthony House.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.