Rochester is a city located in Monroe County New York. Rochester has a 2024 population of 207,537. It is also the county seat of Monroe County. Rochester is currently declining at a rate of -0.44% annually and its population has decreased by -1.72% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 211,167 in 2020.
The average household income in Rochester is $63,724 with a poverty rate of 27.93%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Rochester is 32.9 years, 32.2 years for males, and 33.5 years for females.
Rochester, NY is located in Monroe County, south of Lake Ontario. Rochester has the second-largest economy in New York following the NYC metro area.
Rochester is a popular destination for immigrants, particularly those from Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The city has the highest percentage of Puerto Ricans of all major U.S. cities and one of the largest Turkish American populations. It also has one of the largest communities of Jamaican Americans with a sizable Polish American population.
Rochester is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf with the highest per capita deaf population in the country.
Rochester has a high violent crime rate that is nearly quadruple the national average as well as a personal and property crime rate that exceeds the U.S. average.
According to a recent study, 16% of Rochester's population is now living in extreme poverty, which places the city first among mid-sized U.S. cities in terms of extreme poverty. Someone is considered to be living in extreme poverty at half the federal poverty income threshold. For a family of four, this means an income of less than $11,925 per year. In 2015, the average cost for a two-bedroom home in the city was $931, or $11,172 a year. 23% of Rochester's white population lives in poverty versus the 10% national average, while 40% of the black population lives in poverty versus the 27% average. 44% of Rochester's Hispanic population is now in poverty versus just 23% nationally.
Rochester was one of the first boomtowns in the United States and gained population quickly for the many flour mills on the Genesee River. Its reputation as a flour manufacturing center earned it the nickname "the Flour City," although it's now more commonly known as "the Flower City" for the annual Lilac Festival.
Rochester is now an international hub of technological and medical developments as well as higher education. The city has several renowned universities, including the Rochester Institute of Technology, and it's the birthplace of Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, and Kodak.
Rochester has been named as America's most livable city, and it's earned high ratings for families and quality of life. It also boasts the most affordable real estate prices of any New York City.
Susan B. Anthony, the famous leader of the Women's Suffrage Movement, was from Rochester, NY. Her work lead to the right for women to vote.
The city of Rochester has been slowly losing people for the last few years at a rate of about 1% per year. The most recent census found that Rochester lost 4.2% of its population. Current estimates show another drop of 1.3% as well. Only time will tell if this city will begin to recover previous population levels.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Rochester was:
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 91,315 | 2.21 | 37.3 | 62.7 |
Non Family | 48,080 | 1.28 | 29.7 | 70.3 |
Female | 20,045 | 3.41 | 28.9 | 71.1 |
Married | 18,794 | 3.09 | 65.7 | 34.3 |
Male | 4,396 | 3.1 | 37.7 | 62.3 |
3.1
Average Family Size
2.21
Average Household Size
37.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
79.31% of Rochester residents speak only English, while 20.69% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 14.19% of the population.
rate
27.93%
Overall Poverty Rate
26.22%
Male Poverty Rate
29.49%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Rochester is Native, with 37.29% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Rochester is Islander, with 13.31% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.33%. Among those working part-time, it was 28.59%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 43.38%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
24.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
26.5%
Male Marriage Rate
23.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
14.84%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.59%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
61.6%
Labor Force Participation
56.3%
Employment Rate
8.5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
66.48%
Born in Rochester
90.8%
Native Born
9.2%
Foreign Born
4.62%
Non Citizen
4.58%
Naturalized
90.8% of Rochester residents were born in the United States, with 66.48% having been born in New York. 4.62% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 202,999 | -908 | -0.45% |
2028 | 203,907 | -907 | -0.44% |
2027 | 204,814 | -908 | -0.44% |
2026 | 205,722 | -907 | -0.44% |
2025 | 206,629 | -908 | -0.44% |
2024 | 207,537 | -907 | -0.44% |
2023 | 208,444 | -908 | -0.43% |
2022 | 209,352 | -1,855 | -0.88% |
2021 | 211,207 | 40 | 0.02% |
2020 | 211,167 | 5,308 | 2.58% |
2019 | 205,859 | -443 | -0.21% |
2018 | 206,302 | -300 | -0.15% |
2017 | 206,602 | -1,135 | -0.55% |
2016 | 207,737 | -873 | -0.42% |
2015 | 208,610 | -754 | -0.36% |
2014 | 209,364 | -832 | -0.4% |
2013 | 210,196 | -141 | -0.07% |
2012 | 210,337 | -144 | -0.07% |
2011 | 210,481 | 291 | 0.14% |
2010 | 210,190 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 219,773 | -11,863 | -5.12% |
1990 | 231,636 | -10,105 | -4.18% |
1980 | 241,741 | -53,270 | -18.06% |
1970 | 295,011 | -23,600 | -7.41% |
1960 | 318,611 | -13,877 | -4.17% |
1950 | 332,488 | 7,513 | 2.31% |
1940 | 324,975 | -3,157 | -0.96% |
1930 | 328,132 | 32,382 | 10.95% |
1920 | 295,750 | 77,601 | 35.57% |
1910 | 218,149 | 55,541 | 34.16% |
1900 | 162,608 | 28,712 | 21.44% |
1890 | 133,896 | 44,530 | 49.83% |
1880 | 89,366 | 26,980 | 43.25% |
1870 | 62,386 | 14,182 | 29.42% |
1860 | 48,204 | 11,801 | 32.42% |
1850 | 36,403 | 16,212 | 80.29% |
1840 | 20,191 | 10,984 | 119.3% |
1830 | 9,207 | -193,792 | -95.46% |