Should I Move To
Rochester, New York is home to about 210,992 people. On cost of living, it lands in the moderate band — 4% below the national average. The median renter pays around $995 a month against a typical household income of $44,156. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 47 out of 100 (grade D), putting it at #613 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 96 (100 = US average), which puts it in the moderate band. At $995/mo against $44,156 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 27% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $111,400.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is cold-winter — summer averages around 80°F, winter averages around 21°F. Precipitation totals about 35 inches a year. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. Crime runs notably high by national standards. As always, neighborhood-level data tells a more nuanced story than the citywide figure. AQI runs about 33 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Rochester doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 45/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (94/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Rochester doesn't obviously fit retirees. The profile-weighted score is 51/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (94/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Rochester reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 58/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (94/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Rochester doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 38/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (94/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Our overall score for Rochester is 47/100 — a D, sitting at #613 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Rochester sits at 96 — moderate, 4% below the national average. Median renter pays around $995 a month.
Rochester runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 80°F, winter's near 21°F; 35 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 68/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 210,992 people live here, with 29% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 33.
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 New York cities scored on UrbRank.
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