Rochester, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rochester, NY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Rochester | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 208,823 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5617.9 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.10% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.2 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 93,225 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rochester grew by 0.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 208,823 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rochester is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.3% of residents. That is 5.8 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 54,979 26.3% +5.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 49,738 23.8% +1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 38,336 18.4% -2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 27,419 13.1% -4.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New York, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.0% of the people living in Rochester and men 48.0%.
- Women 52.0% New York 51.3%
- Men 48.0% New York 48.7%
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100% of everyone living in Rochester
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Economy
Rochester has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Rochester | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,174 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.02% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rochester is about 45% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Rochester | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $143,577 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,081 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 38.2% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rochester is about 11.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,081 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rochester spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rochester | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.3 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.5 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,460 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 15,642 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,687 | 1,586 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Rochester is 17 minutes, shorter than the 29 minutes in New York.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Rochester has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rochester | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.1% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.14 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Health
Rochester has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Rochester | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.7 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.4% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.0% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
Rochester, NY Compared With Nearby Cities
How Rochester, NY compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NY | 208,823 | $47,174 #3/3 | $143,577 #3/3 | 17.3 min #2/3 |
| Brighton, NY | 36,809 | $87,769 | $338,022 | 15.8 min |
| Irondequoit, NY | 50,494 | $80,861 | $143,662 | 18.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rochester, New York.
What is the population of Rochester, New York?
About 208,823 people live in Rochester, New York, in 93,225 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 32.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Rochester, New York?
Averaged over its land area, Rochester, New York has 5,618 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 65 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Rochester, New York?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($143,577 against $47,174), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,081 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Rochester, New York?
Unemployment in Rochester, New York is 7.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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