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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Rochester

New York · 219,773 residents · 35.8 sq mi
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The short version

Rochester is home to 219,773 people in New York. 40% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 25.9%, above the 12.4% national rate. That trails the New York median by roughly 37%. This skews young, with a median age of 30.8. The typical home is worth $62,100.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 30.8
US median: 35.2
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 27%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
219,773
−5%since 1990
from 231,636 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
30.8
+4%since 1990
from 29.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
35.8 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
204K212K219K227K234K19902000201020202024Rochester
2024209K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.8%(17,227)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 98.5%(18,733)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.8%(17,233)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.1%(15,699)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 248.4%(18,432)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3417.1%(37,652)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415%(33,057)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5411.4%(25,014)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 646.7%(14,749)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 744.5%(9,992)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.7%(8,179)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.7%(3,806)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$27,123
−10%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $22,785 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$15,588
+33%since 1990
from $11,704 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
25.9%
+2.4 ptssince 1990
from 23.5% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$62,100
−27%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $64,700 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$553
−5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $442 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
40.2%
−3.8 ptssince 1990
from 44.0% in 1990
59.8% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic61.3%(141,952)
Black31.6%(73,102)
Hispanic / Latino8.2%(18,936)
Asian1.6%(3,752)
2000
White, non-Hispanic44.3%(97,395)
Black37.4%(82,267)
Hispanic / Latino12.8%(28,032)
Asian2.2%(4,867)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican14.7%(30,736)
Dominican1.4%(3,007)
Mexican0.9%(1,861)
Cuban0.8%(1,617)
South American0.6%(1,178)
Spaniard0.2%(491)
Colombian0.2%(407)
Honduran0.2%(349)
Peruvian0.1%(274)
Ecuadorian0.1%(202)
Panamanian0.1%(164)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.1%(139)
Guatemalan0.1%(135)
Venezuelan0.1%(133)
Chilean0.1%(109)
Bolivian0%(32)
Asian origin
Chinese0.7%(1,488)
Asian Indian0.5%(1,023)
Nepalese0.5%(951)
Vietnamese0.2%(495)
Thai0.2%(466)
Burmese0.2%(465)
Korean0.2%(385)
Laotian0.2%(376)
Filipino0.1%(200)
Pakistani0.1%(154)
Japanese0.1%(127)
Kazakh0.1%(127)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(112)
Chamorro0%(11)
Ancestry
Irish8.5%(17,749)
German8.2%(17,178)
Italian7.8%(16,271)
English5.8%(12,061)
American3.6%(7,597)
West Indian2.3%(4,751)
Polish2.2%(4,606)
Jamaican1.3%(2,711)
French1.1%(2,290)
Scottish1.1%(2,231)
Dutch1%(2,005)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.6%(1,258)
Ukrainian0.5%(1,070)
Somali0.5%(1,065)
Arab0.4%(747)
Haitian0.3%(676)
Swedish0.3%(668)
Hungarian0.3%(564)
Welsh0.3%(526)
Ethiopian0.2%(519)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(476)
Norwegian0.2%(474)
Portuguese0.2%(466)
Greek0.2%(410)
Nigerian0.2%(367)
Lithuanian0.2%(357)
British0.2%(323)
Canadian0.2%(317)
Romanian0.1%(299)
Israeli0.1%(270)
Austrian0.1%(269)
Turkish0.1%(231)
Czech0.1%(229)
Croatian0.1%(219)
Latvian0.1%(206)
Lebanese0.1%(205)
Swiss0.1%(167)
Danish0.1%(162)
Serbian0.1%(148)
Finnish0.1%(130)
Iranian0.1%(117)
Slovene0.1%(117)
Barbadian0.1%(113)
Brazilian0%(102)
Belgian0%(98)
Egyptian0%(85)
Ghanaian0%(79)
Kenyan0%(78)
Guyanese0%(73)
Slovak0%(67)
Syrian0%(58)
Moroccan0%(49)
Iraqi0%(28)
Armenian0%(20)
Bulgarian0%(13)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
20.1%
+1.1 ptssince 1990
from 19.0% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
73.0%
+4.2 ptssince 1990
from 68.8% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
8.0%
+0.8 ptssince 1990
from 7.2% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
12.0 min
−28%since 1990
from 16.7 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married45.8%(35,437)
Married41%(31,701)
Widowed2.9%(2,262)
Divorced10.3%(7,993)
Women 15+
Never married41.9%(37,182)
Married35.7%(31,680)
Widowed10.6%(9,446)
Divorced11.8%(10,517)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
4.9%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 12.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
39.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 40.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.9%
−2.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.5%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
44.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 44.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
49.7%
−2.7 ptssince 2020
from 52.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
54.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 53.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)24.9%(1,538)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.5%(1,205)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.2%(1,741)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.6%(162)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.2%(72)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 6,184 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Head to head

Compare Rochester to nearby cities

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ROCHESTER VS
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ROCHESTER VS
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ROCHESTER VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Rochester, New York?

Rochester, New York has about 219,773 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Rochester, New York?

The typical household in Rochester, New York earns about $27,123 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rochester, New York expensive?

In Rochester, New York, the median home is worth about $62,100, and the typical rent is about $553 a month.

How educated are people in Rochester, New York?

About 20.1% of adults age 25 and over in Rochester, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rochester, New York?

About 25.9% of people in Rochester, New York live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rochester, New York grown since 1990?

Yes, Rochester, New York has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 11,863 residents, a change of about -5 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →