Rochester, NY

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

1.06M

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

40.7

0.246% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.8%

3.04% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$76,284

2.48% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$204,600

7.63% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

515,873

0.454% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Rochester, NY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.5% of the residents in Rochester, NY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rochester, NY are University of Rochester (4,101 degrees awarded in 2024), Rochester Institute of Technology (3,998 degrees), and SUNY Brockport (1,893 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Rochester, NY was $204,600, and the homeownership rate was 67.3%.

Most people in Rochester, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21 minutes. The average car ownership in Rochester, NY was 2 cars per household.

Rochester, NY borders Auburn, NY, Batavia, NY, Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, Corning, NY, and Seneca Falls, NY.

About the photo: Downtown Rochester from the Broad Street Bridge, looking north.

Photo by Rich Engelbrecht

United States New York

Population & Diversity

Rochester, NY is home to a population of 1.06M people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.56% of Rochester, NY residents were born outside of the country (69.5k people).

In 2024, there were 7.12 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (775k people) in Rochester, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 109k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 32.6k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.5%

2024 Citizenship

97.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.5% of Rochester, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rochester, NY was 97.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Rochester, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rochester, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
775k ± 1.38k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
109k ± 1.89k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
32.6k ± 1.89k

8.62%

Hispanic Population

91.2k people

8.62% of the people in Rochester, NY are hispanic (91.2k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Rochester, NY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for New York.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
492,198 ± 17,010 people
China
414,597 ± 15,642 people
Jamaica
229,554 ± 11,695 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 492,198 New York residents, followed by China with 414,597 and Jamaica with 229,554.

Foreign-Born Population

6.56%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

69.5k people

6.47%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

68.5k people

As of 2024, 6.56% of Rochester, NY residents (69.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rochester, NY was 6.47%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Rochester, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
15,662 ± 766
Gulf War (2001-)
9,910 ± 816
Gulf War (1990s)
5,913 ± 533

Rochester, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.58 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Rochester, NY.

Health

96.4% of the population of Rochester, NY has health coverage, with 48.3% on employee plans, 20.3% on Medicaid, 14.3% on Medicare, 12.5% on non-group plans, and 0.897% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in New York see 1,245 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,245 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1205 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 265 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

1,245 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in New York

Primary care physicians in New York see an average of 1,245 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,245 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in New York in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.9% under 18 years, 21% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.61%

Uninsured

48.3%

Employer Coverage

20.3%

Medicaid

14.3%

Medicare

12.5%

Non-Group

0.897%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rochester, NY grew by 3.8% from 3.48% to 3.61%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rochester, NY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Rochester, NY employs 516k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rochester, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (88,568 people), Educational Services (73,391 people), and Manufacturing (56,971 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($98,448), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($83,100), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($76,597).

Employment

Occupations

516k

2024 Value

± 5,513

−0.454%

1 Year decline

± 1.51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rochester, NY declined at a rate of −0.454%, from 518k employees to 516k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rochester, NY, are Management Occupations (58,101 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (55,596 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (44,671 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rochester, NY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New York (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

516k

2024 Value

± 5,513

−0.454%

1 Year decline

± 1.51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rochester, NY declined at a rate of −0.454%, from 518k employees to 516k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rochester, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (88,568 people), Educational Services (73,391 people), and Manufacturing (56,971 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rochester, NY, though some of these residents may live in Rochester, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,790

Median earning men ± $718

$43,815

Median earning women ± $726

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,049), Public Administration ($82,416), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($77,241).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($60,639), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,519), and Wholesale Trade ($55,750).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Y-Axis

2.74%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.56M people employed in New York. This represents a 2.74% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 19.7%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New York.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,782
Construction
1,586
Other Services (except Public Administration)
1,489
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$4.04M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$3.66M
Manufacturing
$2.22M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New York went to Kamala Harris with 55.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.565%).

Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are the senators currently representing the state of New York. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

New York is currently represented by 26 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Rochester, NY. Showing the available data for New York.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (55.9%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.3%)
Republican Party
Jill Stein (0.565%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New York went to Kamala Harris with 55.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.565%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in New York for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from New York

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Chuck Schumer

Senator from New York

Assumed office on January 3, 1999

Kirsten Gillibrand

Senator from New York

Assumed office on January 26, 2009
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Hillary Clinton, who had become Secretary of State.

Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are the senators currently representing New York.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in New York over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Rochester, NY awarded 16,987 degrees. The student population of Rochester, NY in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 31,130 male students and 35,593 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rochester, NY are White (10,220 and 69.4%), Hispanic or Latino (1,240 and 8.42%), Black or African American (1,214 and 8.24%), and Asian (1,088 and 7.39%).

The largest universities in Rochester, NY by number of degrees awarded are University of Rochester (4,101 and 24.1%), Rochester Institute of Technology (3,998 and 23.5%), and SUNY Brockport (1,893 and 11.1%).

The most popular majors in Rochester, NY are Other Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods (907 and 5.34%), Registered Nursing (866 and 5.1%), and General Business Administration & Management (695 and 4.09%).

The median tuition costs are $40,090 for private four year colleges, and $7,070 and $15,890 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Rochester, NY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 61.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 14.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 66,723 (46.7% men and 53.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 66,723 students enrolled in Rochester, NY, 46.7% men and 53.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 37,998 records, of which 54.2% were women and 45.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
624 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
446 degrees awarded
General Psychology
389 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rochester, NY was Registered Nursing with 624 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Rochester, NY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Rochester
4,101 degrees awarded
Rochester Institute of Technology
3,998 degrees awarded
SUNY Brockport
1,893 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Rochester with 4,101 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 7,287 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rochester, NY, which is 0.751 times less than the 9,700 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 10,220 degrees mean that there were 8.24 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,240 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($40,090) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, less-than 2-year ($3,160) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($2,350) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Rochester, NY was $204,600 in 2024, which is 0.615 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $190,100 to $204,600, a 7.63% increase. The homeownership rate in Rochester, NY is 67.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rochester, NY have an average commute time of 21 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rochester, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$204,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$2,113

$300,181

Median Property Taxes

±$3,399

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Rochester, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Rochester, NY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67.3%

Homeownership

2024

61.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.3% of the housing units in Rochester, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rochester, NY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$76,284

Median Household Income

± $890

446k

Number of Households

± 5,136

In 2024, the median household income of the 446k households in Rochester, NY grew to $76,284 from the previous year's value of $74,438.

The following chart displays the households in Rochester, NY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rochester, NY is from New York.

0.492

2024 Wage GINI in New York

0.493

2023 Wage GINI in New York

In 2024, the income inequality in New York was 0.492 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.301% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New York in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New York across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.3%)
Worked At Home (14.3%)
Carpooled (7.61%)

In 2024, 72.3% of workers in Rochester, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.3%) and those who carpooled to work (7.61%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rochester, NY have a shorter commute time (21 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.27% of the workforce in Rochester, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Rochester, NY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Rochester, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rochester, NY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rochester, NY (131k out of 1.02M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rochester, NY is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.