ROCHESTER, NY — A divorced 55-year-old data analyst who had been paying $3,000 a month for an 875-square-foot apartment in Oakland, California, bought a 3-bedroom house in Rochester, New York, for $164,900 and cut his housing costs almost in half.
The move gave him 1,700 square feet, a larger lot and a mortgage payment he says fits his long-term budget better than Bay Area rent. He bought with two adult children in mind, saying the extra bedrooms and lower monthly cost would give them a steadier place to land as they get started in adulthood.
He said he had not expected to own a home earlier in life, but after earning a college degree at 50 and working in Bay Area startups, he decided homeownership in California was out of reach. Rochester, which he had come to view as a good fit for affordability and walkability, changed that calculation.
Why Rochester Became the Target After Years of Searching Online
The search began with uncertainty about rent, mortgage rates and how long a high-cost Bay Area job might last. He wanted the security of a fixed housing payment and a place his children could use as they transitioned into independent adulthood…