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.