City comparison
Binghamton, NY is about 125 miles (175 km) from Rochester, NY in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Binghamton, NY to Rochester, NY takes about 14 min, covering roughly 125 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Rochester has a population of 210,992, vs 47,617 in Binghamton — about 4.4× larger by population. By land area, Rochester covers about 36 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Binghamton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Binghamton | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $805/mo | $995/mo | 23.6% higher in Rochester |
| Median home value | $117,400 | $111,400 | 5.4% higher in Binghamton |
| Median household income | $42,031 | $44,156 | 5.1% higher in Rochester |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 128.7 | 130.2 | 1.2% higher in Rochester |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Binghamton, you'd need $108,503 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Binghamton, NY is about 7.8% cheaper overall than Rochester, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% higher in Rochester than in Binghamton. If you earn $80,000 in Binghamton, you'd need about $86,803 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.