Monroe County · New York · Northeast · 209k residents
Rochester, NY: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Rochester: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the New York median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,328/wk. New York's corporate income tax rate is 7.25%. Commercial electricity averages 18.8¢/kWh.
Compare Rochester side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,328/wk
Corporate income tax
7.25%
Bachelor's degree or higher
30%
Commercial electricity
18.8¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Rochester's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
46/100
Steady
Ranks Rochester's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $139,600 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $300 |
| Property tax rate | 1.6% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $897/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,161/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.07% |
| Sales tax | 8.5% |
| Corporate income tax | 7.25% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,328/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% |
| Commercial electricity | 18.8¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 26.0/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $122,770 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $86,570 |
| Wage: General manager | $103,690 |
| Wage: Customer service | $44,740 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $37,940 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $58,920 |
| Wage: Electrician | $77,310 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $34,650 |
| Cost of living index | 90 |
| Groceries index | 108 |
| Utilities | $190/mo |
| Transit pass | $127/mo |
| Gas price | $3.50/gal |
| Healthcare index | 105 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,400/mo |
| Median household income | $47,213 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% |
| Population | 209k |
| Crime index | 40/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 94/100 |
| Avg. commute | 33 min |
| Sunny days / year | 180 days |
| July high | 83°F |
| January low | 19°F |
| Annual snowfall | 102 in |
| Home price YoY | +4.1% |
| Home price MoM | +0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +3.6% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +1.3% |
| Building permits YoY | -78.6% |
| Ocean coast | 255 mi |
| Big lake | 6 mi |
| Mountains | 182 mi |
| Major airport | 5 mi |
| Ski resort | 30 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Irondequoit, NY · 51k
- Brighton, NY · 37k
- Batavia, NY · 15k
- Lockport, NY · 21k
- Auburn, NY · 26k
Similar size
- Yonkers, NY · 210k
- Syracuse, NY · 146k
- Buffalo, NY · 277k
- Albany, NY · 100k
- New Rochelle, NY · 83k
Real listings in Rochester
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Rochester a good place to run a business?
- New York's corporate income tax rate is 7.25%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,328/wk; commercial electricity averages 18.8¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Rochester, NY?
- Rochester indexes at 90 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,161/mo and a acs median home value of $139,600.
- How much does a house cost in Rochester?
- The acs median home value in Rochester is $139,600 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Rochester?
- A two-bedroom in Rochester rents for about $1,161/mo.