Rochester, New York Population 2021

205,077

Rochester is a city located in New York. With a 2020 population of 205,077, it is the 3rd largest city in New York (after New York City and Buffalo) and the 115th largest city in the United States. Rochester is currently declining at a rate of -0.15% annually and its population has decreased by -2.61% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 210,565 in 2010. Rochester reached it's highest population of 332,488 in 1950. Spanning over 37 miles, Rochester has a population density of 5,734 people per square mile.

The average household income in Rochester is $52,116 with a poverty rate of 31.31%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $848 per month, and the median house value is $83,100. The median age in Rochester is 32 years, 31 years for males, and 32.9 years for females. For every 100 females there are 94.2 males.

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: 47.88%
Black or African American: 39.83%
Two or more races: 4.39%
Other race: 3.77%
Asian: 3.10%
Native American: 0.96%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.08%

The current population of Rochester, New York is 205,077, based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates. The US Census estimates the 2018 population at 206,004.The last official US Census in 2010 recorded the population at 210,565.

Rochester, New York Population 2021

2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.

Year	Total Population	Growth	Annual Growth Rate
2021	1,065,690	-1,980	-0.19%
2020	1,067,670	-1,970	-0.18%
2019	1,069,640	-1,980	-0.19%
2018	1,071,620	-340	-0.03%
2017	1,071,960	-2,100	-0.20%
2016	1,074,060	-3,030	-0.28%
2015	1,077,090	-3,000	-0.28%
2014	1,080,090	-1,650	-0.15%
2013	1,081,740	230	0.02%
2012	1,081,510	-50	-0.00%
2011	1,081,560	1,590	0.15%
2010	1,079,970		0.00%

Rochester Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

Race	Population	Percentage
White	99,038	47.88%
Black or African American	82,384	39.83%
Two or More Races	9,083	4.39%
Some Other Race	7,789	3.77%
Asian	6,405	3.10%
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,982	0.96%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	167	0.08%

Rochester Population by Race

Rochester Population Pyramid 2021

Rochester Population by Age

Rochester Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Rochester Household Types

Type	Owner	Renter
Married	67.7%	32.3%
All	36.4%	63.6%
Male	32.8%	67.2%
Non Family	29.9%	70.1%
Female	25.1%	74.9%

36.4%

Rate of Home Ownership

Rochester Households and Families

Type	Count	Average Size	Owned
All	86,307	2.29	36.4
Non Family	44,714	1.31	29.9
Female	20,156	3.48	25.1
Married	17,031	3.21	67.7
Male	4,406	3.17	32.8

3.2

Average Family Size

2.29

Average Household Size

Rochester Households by Type

Education Attained	Count	Percentage
Less Than 9th Grade	8,491	6.40%
9th to 12th Grade	17,530	13.20%
High School Graduate	34,906	26.29%
Some College	24,863	18.73%
Associates Degree	13,612	10.25%
Bachelors Degree	19,151	14.43%
Graduate Degree	14,200	10.70%

Rochester Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Rochester Educational Attainment by Race

Name	Total	High School	Bachelors
White	58,291	52,607	24,628
Black	48,814	36,744	4,796
Hispanic	21,066	13,912	1,979
Other Race	4,810	3,276	522
Multiple Races	3,605	3,024	671
Asian	3,499	2,243	1,431
Native American	1,038	723	69
Islander	52	44	8

The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 90.25%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 42.25%.

Rochester Educational Attainment by Race

Name	Average	Male	Female
Overall	$31,633	$34,215	$30,109
Less Than High School	$20,449	$22,097	$17,740
High School Grad	$25,136	$28,139	$22,518
Some College	$30,409	$32,326	$28,004
Bachelors Degree	$45,365	$49,524	$42,259
Graduate Degree	$55,015	$58,783	$53,993

$31,633

Average Earnings

$34,215

Average Male

$30,109

Average Female

Rochester Earnings by Educational Attainment

Rochester Language by Age

Rochester Language

78.71% of Rochester residents speak only English, while 21.29% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 14.47% of the population.

Rochester Language

Rochester Poverty by Race

Name	Total	In Poverty	Poverty Rate
Black	80,611	30,054	37.28%
Hispanic	38,815	15,594	40.18%
White	71,121	13,959	19.63%
Multiple	8,908	3,757	42.18%
Other	7,694	2,740	35.61%
Asian	5,388	1,398	25.95%
Native	1,966	768	39.06%
Islander	136	15	11.03%

31.31%

Overall Poverty Rate

29.63%

Male Poverty Rate

32.89%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Rochester

The race most likely to be in poverty in Rochester is Multiple, with 42.18% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Rochester is Islander, with 11.03% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.51%. Among those working part-time, it was 32.59%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 45.73%.

Rochester Poverty

Name	Poverty
Less Than High School	43.72%
High School	27.64%
Some College	22.26%
Bachelors or Greater	8.69%

Rochester Poverty Rate by Education

Name	Poverty
Female Unemployed	59.36%
Male Unemployed	46.30%
Female Employed	15.98%
Male Employed	9.78%

Rochester Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Rochester Income by Household Type

Name	Median	Mean
Households	$35,590	$52,116
Families	$41,306	$57,924
Married Families	$71,434	$86,020
Non Families	$28,942	$44,489

Income by Household Type

Rochester Marital Status

Marriage Rates

23.6%

Overall Marriage Rate

24.8%

Male Marriage Rate

22.4%

Female Marriage Rate

Rochester Married by Age and Sex

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 55-64.

Rochester Marital Status by Race

Rochester Marital Status

6,892

Number of Veterans

6,224

Male Veterans

668

Female Veterans

War	Veterans
Vietnam	2,085
Second Gulf War	1,188
First Gulf War	1,137
Korea	438
World War II	304

Rochester Veterans by War

Age Group	Veterans
35 to 54	1,883
55 to 64	1,679
75+	1,386
65 to 74	1,352
18 to 34	592

Rochester Veterans by Age

Name	Veterans	% of Total
White	4,084	4.82%
Black	2,288	3.97%
Hispanic	490	1.89%
2 or More	209	4.27%
Other	146	2.53%
Asian	90	1.68%
Indian	75	5.42%

Rochester Veterans by Race

Rochester Veterans by Education

13.78%

Veteran Poverty Rate

30.26%

Veteran Disability Rate

Rochester Veterans by Education

62.3%

Labor Force Participation

55.9%

Employment Rate

10.2%

Unemployment Rate

Rochester Employment by Age

Rochester Employment by Race

Rochester Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

66.27%

Born in New York

90.88%

Native Born

9.12%

Foreign Born

4.90%

Non Citizen

4.22%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

90.88% of Rochester residents were born in the United States, with 66.27% having been born in New York. 4.90% 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

Year	Population	Growth	Annual Growth Rate
2021	205,077	-309	-0.15%
2020	205,386	-309	-0.15%
2019	205,695	-309	-0.15%
2018	206,004	-406	-0.20%
2017	206,410	-1,249	-0.60%
2016	207,659	-902	-0.43%
2015	208,561	-768	-0.37%
2014	209,329	-850	-0.40%
2013	210,179	-150	-0.07%
2012	210,329	-162	-0.08%
2011	210,491	274	0.13%
2010	210,217	-9,556	-0.44%
2000	219,773	-11,863	-0.52%
1990	231,636	-10,105	-0.43%
1980	241,741	-53,270	-1.97%
1970	295,011	-23,600	-0.77%
1960	318,611	-13,877	-0.43%
1950	332,488	7,513	0.23%
1940	324,975	-3,157	-0.10%
1930	328,132	32,382	1.04%
1920	295,750	77,601	3.09%
1910	218,149	55,541	2.98%
1900	162,608	28,712	1.96%
1890	133,896	44,530	4.13%
1880	89,366	26,980	3.66%
1870	62,386	14,182	2.61%
1860	48,204	11,801	2.85%
1850	36,403	16,212	6.07%
1840	20,191	10,984	8.17%
1830	9,207		0.00%

Rochester, New York Population 2021

Rochester Population Statistics

Rochester Facts

Rochester Population Growth

Rochester Demographics

Rochester, New York Population 2021

Rochester Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

Rochester Population by Race

Rochester Population Pyramid 2021

Rochester Median Age

Rochester Adults

Rochester Age Dependency

Rochester Sex Ratio

Rochester Population by Age

Rochester Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Rochester Household Types

Rochester Households and Families

Rochester Households by Type

Rochester Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Rochester Educational Attainment by Race

Rochester Educational Attainment by Race

Rochester Earnings by Educational Attainment

Rochester Language by Age

Rochester Language

Rochester Language

Rochester Poverty by Race

Poverty in Rochester

Rochester Poverty

Rochester Poverty Rate by Education

Rochester Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Rochester Income by Household Type

Income by Household Type

Rochester Marital Status

Marriage Rates

Rochester Married by Age and Sex

Rochester Marriage

Rochester Marital Status by Race

Rochester Marital Status

Rochester Veterans by War

Rochester Veterans by Age

Rochester Veterans by Race

Rochester Veterans by Education

Rochester Veterans by Education

Rochester Employment by Age

Rochester Employment by Race

Rochester Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Place of Birth

Rochester Place of Birth

Rochester Population by Year