City comparison
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 | Rochester | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,218/mo | $1,312/mo | 7.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $268,800 | $305,600 | 12.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $83,973 | $63,011 | 33.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.7 | 98.2 | 2.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 88.7 | 138.4 | 35.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 93.6 | 99.6 | 6.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.3 | 102.2 | 7.8% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Rochester, you'd need $120,279 in Worcester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester, MN is about 16.9% cheaper overall than Worcester, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Rochester than in Worcester. If you earn $80,000 in Rochester, you'd need about $96,224 in Worcester to keep the same standard of living.