Rochester is a mid-sized city in upstate New York, blending historical character with a vibrant urban lifestyle. Known for affordable living, diverse neighborhoods, and strong cultural attractions, the city appeals to people seeking a comfortable yet dynamic place to live. Newcomers often consider factors like local housing markets, safety, transportation options, quality of healthcare and education, as well as parks and recreation when planning their move.
Demographics
- College friendliness: 58.41
- Family friendliness: 7.23
- Young singles appeal: 57.17
- Retirement friendliness: 15.96
- First-time homebuyer friendliness: 30.44
- Vacation home appeal: 0.00
Rochester shows moderate appeal for college students and young singles, which suggests a youthful and student-friendly community, likely influenced by local universities. However, the city has notably low scores for family friendliness, retirement friendliness, and first-time homebuyer friendliness, indicating significant challenges in affordability, safety, or community infrastructure suited to these groups. The absence of vacation home appeal emphasizes its urban residential character rather than a recreational destination.
Lifestyle
- Luxury living: 32.09
- Hip & trendy factor: 85.16
- Quietness: 14.85
- Nautical/boating lifestyle: 0.00
- Urban sophistication: 38.88
- Walkability: 92.23
- Car friendliness: 62.11
- Cycling friendliness: 24.92
- Vibrancy/liveliness: 75.16
- Public transit friendliness: 63.67
Rochester excels in walkability, hipness, and vibrancy, indicating a highly dynamic and trendy urban setting with substantial amenities and pedestrian-friendly design. Moderate public transit friendliness and car accessibility contribute positively to transportation options. However, low scores in luxury living, quietness, and cycling infrastructure suggest a busy, affordable, and lively environment but potentially noisy and lacking extensive cycling facilities. This urban energy appeals primarily to younger demographics seeking lively city life rather than quiet or luxury-oriented lifestyles.
Housing Options and Homebuying
Rochester experienced slight price declines in the early 2010s but began a consistent and robust upward trend from 2013 onward. Notably, there was a dramatic spike in home prices during 2021 and 2022, reflecting strong demand and significant market revitalization. Recent years have shown continued steady growth, albeit at a slightly moderated pace. The sustained appreciation indicates increasing market stability and attractiveness, particularly driven by Rochester’s vibrant urban lifestyle and strong walkability, making it an increasingly appealing market for prospective homeowners and investors.
Housing Stock and Neighborhoods
Rochester’s housing stock is older and full of character. Over half of the city’s houses were built before 1940, and many date back to the late 19th and early 20th century. You’ll see streets of classic American foursquare and Victorian-style homes, brick apartment buildings from the 1920s, and post-war tract houses.
Nearly 48% of housing units are single-family homes (mostly detached houses with yards). The rest are duplexes, small apartment buildings, and some larger apartment complexes. There are beautiful historic neighborhoods like Park Avenue (with colorful older homes), as well as more modest areas with bungalow-style houses.
A Brief History of Rochester
Rochester’s story begins in the early 1800s. The city grew up alongside the Genesee River and Erie Canal, which turned Rochester into America’s first “boom town.” In the 1820s and 1830s, Rochester was known as “Flour City” because its mills ground so much grain into flour. Later, it was nicknamed “Flower City” for its nurseries and lilacs.
In the early 20th century, Rochester became a center of innovation and industry. Companies like Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb were founded here, making Rochester famous for photography, copying, and optics. This industrial heritage earned Rochester a reputation as a prosperous manufacturing city…