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Rochester, New York

Know what your Rochester home is really worth

Home to the University of Rochester and RIT, Rochester's $599.9K median sale price reflects a knowledge-economy market with 2 active listings in tightly held Park Avenue and East Avenue historic neighborhoods.

Rochester market snapshot

Median Sale Price
$600K
Median Days on Market
15 days
Active Listings
2

RentCast market data · Monroe County County, New York

About Rochester, New York

Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in New York, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 census. The Rochester metropolitan area in Western New York has an estimated 1.06 million residents and is the 54th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Throughout its history, Rochester has acquired several nicknames based on local industries; it has been known as "the Flour City" and "the Flower City" for its dual role in flour production and floriculture, and as the "World's Image Center" for its association with film, optics, and photography.

The city was one of the United States' first boomtowns, initially due to the fertile Genesee River valley which gave rise to numerous flour mills, and then as a manufacturing center, which spurred further rapid population growth. Rochester has also played a key part in US history as a hub for social and political movements, especially abolitionism, and the women's rights movement.

Rochester is the birthplace and/or home of many notable companies including Eastman Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, Wegmans, Constellation Brands, Gannett, Paychex, Western Union and Ray-Ban. In part due to their influence, the region became a global center for science, technology, and research and development. This has been aided by the presence of several internationally renowned universities, notably the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and their research programs; these schools, along with many other smaller colleges, have played an increasingly large role in its economy. The city experienced significant population decline due to deindustrialization in the late 20th century, although less severely than its Rust Belt peers. The Rochester metropolitan area is the forth-largest regional economy in New York, after New York City and Buffalo–Niagara Falls and[[Albany-Capital District].

Rochester by the numbers

Population 209,720 · Median age 33.5 yrs · Census ACS 2023

Median household income

Rochester's median household income of $46,628 compares to $84,578 statewide and $78,538 nationally, per Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates.

Median age (years)

The median age in Rochester is 33.5 yrs, compared to 39.6 yrs for New York and 38.7 yrs nationally.

Gender split

Rochester is 48.3% male and 51.7% female, per Census ACS estimates.

Population trend — Rochester

Rochester's population grew 1.4% from 2019 to 2023, per Census ACS 5-year estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.

Rochester economy

Like many Rust Belt cities, Rochester was traditionally a manufacturing center, home to companies such as Bausch & Lomb, Kodak, and Xerox. In the 21st century, deindustrialization has occurred. Xerox and Kodak each laid off thousands of workers in the 1990s and 2000s, causing the University of Rochester to become the city's top employer in 2005, a title it holds today. Bausch & Lomb moved to Bridgewater, New Jersey, in 2014. The Gannett newspaper company and Western Union were founded in Rochester by Frank Gannett and Hiram Sibley, respectively, but have since moved to other cities. Today, the city's top employers are its educational and medical institutions. After the University of Rochester, major employers in these fields include Rochester Regional Health, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Carestream Health. In recent years, a high technology industry has grown in Rochester, fostered in part by collaborations between private startup enterprises and the local higher learning institutions. Other organizations such as High Tech Rochester provide local startups with mentorship, office space, and other resources. Like its legacy manufacturers, Rochester's modern technological focus is on imaging and optical science among the industry and universities. The Institute of Optics of the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology have popular imaging programs, and a research hub for photonics has operated in the city since 2015 following federal and st…

Source: Wikipedia article on Rochester under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Climate in Rochester

Monthly climate — Rochester

Source: NOAA Climate Data Online, 1991–2020 climate normals, station GHCND:USC00300343.

Average annual rainfall: 0.3 inches across 0 days per year.

Rochester real estate — frequently asked questions

What is the median home price in Rochester?
The median home sale price in Rochester, NY is $599,900, based on the most recent available sales data.
How long do homes stay on the market in Rochester?
Homes in Rochester sell in a median of 15 days.
What is the cost of living like in Rochester?
Rochester has a median household income of $46,628, per U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates.
Who lives in Rochester?
Rochester has a population of 209,720 with a median age of 33.5 years, per U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates.
How do I sell my home in Rochester?
Start with a free, no-obligation home value estimate. Enter your address above and we'll connect you with a licensed local real-estate professional familiar with the Rochester market within 24 hours.

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ForSaleAmerica.com is an online marketplace and is not a real estate brokerage in New York. Property valuations shown are automated estimates based on public data and are not appraisals, comparative market analyses, or guarantees of sale price. We connect homeowners with top local agents and partners — we do not represent buyers or sellers.