Should I Move To
Rochester, Minnesota is home to about 120,848 people. On cost of living, it lands in the affordable band — 13% below the national average. The median renter pays around $1,218 a month against a typical household income of $83,973. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 59 out of 100 (grade C), putting it at #164 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Rochester's composite cost-of-living index lands at 87 (100 = US average), which puts it in the affordable band. At $1,218/mo against $83,973 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 17% of income on housing — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Median home value sits around $268,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is cold-winter — summer averages around 81°F, winter averages around 12°F. Precipitation totals about 32 inches a year. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests. On the safer side of the national distribution, though not by a huge margin. AQI runs about 34 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Rochester reads as a moderate fit for families. The profile-weighted score is 62/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is climate (3/100).
Rochester doesn't obviously fit retirees. The profile-weighted score is 52/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is climate (3/100).
Rochester reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 59/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is climate (3/100).
Rochester doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 55/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is climate (3/100).
Our overall score for Rochester is 59/100 — a C, sitting at #164 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Rochester sits at 87 — affordable, 13% below the national average. Median renter pays around $1,218 a month.
Rochester runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 81°F, winter's near 12°F; 32 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 38/100. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests.
Roughly 120,848 people live here, with 49% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 36.
Drop Rochester into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Rochester with other Minnesota cities scored on UrbRank.
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