City · New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester, city, in Monroe County, New York. Rochester had 206,108 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 211,328 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 208,772 (±54). GEOID 3663000.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
206,108
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 211,328 · ACS 2020-2024: 208,772 ±54
Median household income
$47,213
±$1,632 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
$139,600
±$4,773 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
$1,081
±$16 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621
Where is Rochester and what county is it in?
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York. It covers 35.8 square miles of land, 5,909 residents per square mile in 2020.
Rochester is in the Rochester, NY metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 5 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Rochester, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 206,108 people lived in Rochester on July 1, 2025, down 2.4% since 2020, a steeper fall than New York's (−1.0%). The 2020 Census counted 211,328 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 208,772 (±54).
| Measure | Rochester | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 208,772 ±54 | 753,753 | +1,924 |
| Households | 93,261 ±1,577 | 318,428 | +6,954 |
| Average household size | 2.14 ±0.04 | 2.28 | −0.15 |
| Housing units | 104,479 ±1,219 | 339,430 | +4,526 |
Rochester's population since 2000
From 219,773 in 2000 to 206,108 in 2025: down 6.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Rochester as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Rochester?
The median resident of Rochester is 33.7 years old; 20.9% are under 18 and 13.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 36.4%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 34.7%. 8.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Rochester | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.7 ±0.5 | 39.6 | +1.7 |
| Under 18 years | 20.9% ±0.6 pts | 20.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.1% ±0.4 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Male | 47.6% ±0.5 pts | 48.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 19.6% ±0.7 pts | 9.9% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 36.4% ±0.9 pts | 67.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 34.7% ±1.0 pts | 13.5% | −2.9 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±0.5 pts | 3.8% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.3% ±0.6 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.2% ±0.7 pts | 7.9% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 19.1% ±0.9 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.7% ±0.4 pts | 4.9% | – |
| With a disability | 19.1% ±0.8 pts | 14.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.9% ±0.5 pts | 3.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.7% ±0.8 pts | 92.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 30.0% ±1.0 pts | 41.5% | +4.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 12.7% ±0.8 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.3% ±0.8 pts | 87.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.7% ±0.3 pts | 2.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Rochester earn?
Half of Rochester's 93,261 households earn less than $47,213 a year (±$1,632), against $76,382 in Monroe County and $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 the median was $43,800 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $3,413 after inflation. 27.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Rochester | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,213 ±$1,632 | $76,382 | +$3,413 |
| Mean household income | $68,287 ±$1,874 | $102,656 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,314 ±$898 | $44,107 | +$2,705 |
| People below the poverty line | 27.8% ±1.3 pts | 13.6% | −3.5 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 41.3% ±2.9 pts | 18.8% | −6.4 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 31.4% ±1.3 pts | 15.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.1% ±0.7 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.4% ±0.9 pts | 90.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Rochester?
Owners occupy 38.1% of Rochester's occupied homes and renters 61.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $139,600 by its owner (±$4,773). The median renter pays $1,081 a month including utilities, and 44.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Rochester | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $139,600 ±$4,773 | $213,700 | +$37,329 |
| Median gross rent | $1,081 ±$16 | $1,173 | +$37 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.9% ±1.8 pts | 42.4% | −2.9 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,244 ±$34 | $1,676 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 38.1% ±1.1 pts | 63.7% | +1.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 61.9% ±1.1 pts | 36.3% | – |
| Housing units | 104,479 ±1,219 | 339,430 | +4,526 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.6% ±0.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.4% ±0.7 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 44.0% ±1.1 pts | 62.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.3% ±0.1 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.4% ±0.2 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.9% ±0.5 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 53.7% ±1.2 pts | 24.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 23.4% ±1.2 pts | 10.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Rochester building?
Builders took permits for 104 new housing units in Rochester in 2025 (51 in single-family houses), 0.5 per 1,000 residents against 1.9 across New York.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Rochester work and get to work?
63.4% of Rochester's workers drive alone and 12.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 7.9%.
| Measure | Rochester | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.7% ±0.9 pts | 63.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% ±0.7 pts | 4.9% | −2.3 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 63.4% ±1.4 pts | 70.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.8% ±1.0 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 5.6% ±0.7 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Walked | 4.3% ±0.5 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.5% ±1.2 pts | 15.6% | +9.1 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.3 min ±0.5 | 19.9 min | −0.9 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Rochester?
82 census tracts lie mostly in Rochester, and 10 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $12,369 (Tract 92) to $115,688 (Tract 78.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 18Monroe County | 5,433 | $48,943 |
| Tract 20Monroe County | 5,381 | $43,922 |
| Tract 88.01Monroe County | 5,355 | $39,651 |
| Tract 38.06Monroe County | 4,731 | $42,692 |
| Tract 38.07Monroe County | 4,685 | $64,375 |
| Tract 86Monroe County | 4,466 | $58,910 |
| Tract 23Monroe County | 4,344 | $22,010 |
| Tract 21Monroe County | 4,227 | $50,240 |
| Tract 81Monroe County | 4,190 | $42,045 |
| Tract 54Monroe County | 3,883 | $80,000 |
| Tract 29Monroe County | 3,792 | $51,703 |
| Tract 85Monroe County | 3,657 | $44,507 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Rochester) · Census block assignment files
How does Rochester compare with other places in New York?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Rochester is the 120th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 4th-most populous of 594 in New York.
Rochester ranks 1,582nd of 1,623 places in New York with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 4th | 594 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 920th | 1,225 |
| Residents per square mile | 112th | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 1,582nd | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 1,418th | 1,653 |
| Median home value | 1,363rd | 1,637 |
| Median gross rent | 802nd | 1,515 |
| Poverty rate | 47th | 1,331 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 899th | 1,640 |
| Median age | 1,537th | 1,654 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,607th | 1,639 |
| Work from home | 682nd | 1,350 |
| Travel time to work | 1,433rd | 1,652 |
Rochester's figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare Rochester with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Rochester?
1 of the 57 figures for Rochester on this page carries a coefficient of variation over 40% and is marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Rochester are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Rochester.