Rochester, New York Population 2023

211,556

Rochester is a city located in Monroe County New York. It is also the county seat of Monroe County. With a 2023 population of 211,556, it is the 4th largest city in New York and the 119th largest city in the United States.Rochester is currently growing at a rate of 0.04% annually and its population has increased by 0.11% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 211,328 in 2020. Spanning over 37 miles, Rochester has a population density of 5,915 people per square mile.

The average household income in Rochester is $52,116 with a poverty rate of 35.93%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Rochester is 32.4 years, 31.4 years for males, and 33.4 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 Population Statistics

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 Facts

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.

Rochester Population Growth

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.

Rochester Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Rochester was:

  • White: 45.39%
  • Black or African American: 39.36%
  • Two or more races: 6.17%
  • Other race: 4.9%
  • Asian: 3.29%
  • Native American: 0.71%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.17%
The current population of Rochester, New York is 211,556 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 211,328.

Rochester, New York Population 2023

Rochester Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Other race

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Rochester Population by Race

Rochester Population Pyramid 2023

Rochester Median Age

32.4

Total

31.4

Male

33.4

Female

Rochester Adults

There are 159,886 adults, (23,947 of whom are seniors) in Rochester.

Rochester Age Dependency

51.8

Age Dependency Ratio

17.6

Old Age Dependency Ratio

34.2

Child Dependency Ratio

Rochester Sex Ratio

Female106,54851.63%
Male99,80948.37%

Rochester Population by Age

Rochester Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.15

Average Family Size

2.24

Average Household Size

36.2%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Rochester Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Rochester Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Rochester Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 76.97%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 38.32%.

Rochester Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$32,606

Average Earnings

$35,508

Average Male

$30,989

Average Female

Rochester Earnings by Educational Attainment

Rochester Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Rochester Language

78.5% of Rochester residents speak only English, while 21.5% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 14.46% of the population.

Rochester Language

Rochester Poverty by Race

rate

35.93%

Overall Poverty Rate

28.95%

Male Poverty Rate

31.65%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Rochester

The race most likely to be in poverty in Rochester is Multiple, with 63.15% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Rochester is White, with 18.53% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.78%. Among those working part-time, it was 31.04%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 44.47%.

Rochester Poverty

Rochester Poverty Rate by Education

Rochester Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Rochester Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Rochester Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

24.7%

Overall Marriage Rate

26.0%

Male Marriage Rate

23.5%

Female Marriage Rate

Rochester Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Rochester Marriage

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 35-44.

Rochester Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Rochester Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

6,871

Number of Veterans

6,176

Male Veterans

695

Female Veterans

Rochester Veterans by War

Rochester Veterans by Age

count

Rochester Veterans by Race

Rochester Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

15.38%

Veteran Poverty Rate

25.82%

Veteran Disability Rate

Rochester Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

62%

Labor Force Participation

56.4%

Employment Rate

8.9%

Unemployment Rate

Rochester Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Rochester Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Rochester Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

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.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

64.4%

Born in Rochester

88.5%

Native Born

9.15%

Foreign Born

4.68%

Non Citizen

4.47%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

88.5% of Rochester residents were born in the United States, with 64.4% having been born in New York. 4.68% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Rochester Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Rochester Population by Year