When it comes to poverty in Rochester, many of the available statistics are grim. One study shows that Rochester has the highest rate of extreme poverty of any comparably sized city in the United States. Extreme poverty is defined as below 50 percent of the poverty level. This same study also points out that Rochester is the fifth-poorest city among the top 75 metro areas nationwide. A 2022 report contends that nearly one-half of all children in Rochester live in poverty and that this number is the second-highest rate in the nation.