City comparison
Rochester, NY is about 70 miles (125 km) from Syracuse, NY in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 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 Rochester, NY to Syracuse, NY takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 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 146,134 in Syracuse — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Rochester covers about 36 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for Syracuse.
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 | Rochester | Syracuse | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $932/mo | 6.8% higher in Rochester |
| Median home value | $111,400 | $117,900 | 5.8% higher in Syracuse |
| Median household income | $44,156 | $43,584 | 1.3% higher in Rochester |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 130.2 | 130.3 | ≈ equal (Syracuse slightly higher) |
| 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 Rochester, you'd need $97,094 in Syracuse to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Syracuse, NY is about 2.9% cheaper overall than Rochester, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in Rochester than in Syracuse. If you earn $80,000 in Rochester, you'd need about $77,675 in Syracuse to keep the same standard of living.