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METRO AREA

Rochester Metro

Rochester, MN · 4 counties · 231,184 residents (2025 est.) · 2,477 sq mi
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The short version

With 228,522 people, Rochester is a metro area. That puts it in the top 1% of US metro areas for household income. Owners hold 74% of the housing stock. The population is up 24% since 2000. About 43% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The average commute runs 21 minutes.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $92,495, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 59%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Rochester

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$152,144 → $310,933 (+104%)US over the same years: +67%
  • Hispanic share0.7% → 5.3% (+4.6 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts

Among the 23 metro and micro areas based in Minnesota

  • 2nd in household income$92,495
  • 2nd in share with a bachelor's degree43.1%
  • 4th in home value$310,933
  • 7th in diversity score42.6
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
228,522
+24%since 2000
from 184,740 in 2000
231,184 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
92 / sq mi
+24%since 2000
from 75 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.0
+9%since 2000
from 35.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
2,477 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
156K176K196K215K235K19902000201020202024Rochester
2024229K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.1%(13,965)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(14,977)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(15,774)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(14,723)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.6%(12,694)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.3%(30,292)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.7%(31,410)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.1%(25,260)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(28,902)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410%(22,813)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.3%(12,003)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.5%(5,709)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$92,495
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $48,191 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$50,884
+122%since 2000
from $22,877 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
59.8%
+21.4 ptssince 2009
from 38.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
7.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2000
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.447
+7%since 2010
from 0.419 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information8.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services3.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration2.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$310,933
+59%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $107,689 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,233
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $502 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
74.4%
−3.7 ptssince 2000
from 78.0% in 2000
25.6% rent
Vacancy rate
6.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.42 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.9%
−5.9 ptssince 2009
from 22.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
42.4%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 37.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.4
+23%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
72
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic91.7%(169,363)
Black1.8%(3,415)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(3,966)
Asian3%(5,466)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic80.1%(182,983)
Black5.6%(12,775)
Hispanic / Latino5.3%(12,113)
Asian4.8%(10,880)
Other4.3%(9,771)
Diversity Score
43
+75%since 2009
from 24 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
32
−14%since 2020
from 38 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.3%(7,490)
South American0.6%(1,306)
Colombian0.5%(851)
Puerto Rican0.3%(741)
Salvadoran0.2%(486)
Guatemalan0.1%(289)
Cuban0.1%(168)
Spaniard0.1%(133)
Ecuadorian0.1%(108)
Peruvian0.1%(107)
Dominican0%(89)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0%(67)
Argentine0%(62)
Panamanian0.1%(26)
Bolivian0.1%(20)
Chilean0%(20)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1%(1,938)
Chinese0.8%(1,852)
Vietnamese0.8%(1,758)
Cambodian0.8%(1,501)
Filipino0.4%(820)
Korean0.2%(512)
Hmong0.2%(321)
Laotian0.1%(194)
Japanese0.1%(184)
Thai0.1%(172)
Burmese0.1%(166)
Bangladeshi0.1%(161)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0.1%(131)
Taiwanese0.1%(106)
Pakistani0.1%(105)
Nepalese0%(17)
Mongolian0%(12)
Malaysian0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(146)
Samoan0%(29)
Ancestry
German32.4%(73,998)
Norwegian13.7%(31,341)
Irish10.1%(23,022)
English7.7%(17,580)
American3.9%(8,800)
Swedish3.5%(7,916)
Polish2.5%(5,780)
French1.8%(4,106)
Dutch1.7%(3,993)
Italian1.7%(3,820)
Czech1.5%(3,428)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1.3%(2,896)
Danish1.1%(2,500)
Somali1.3%(2,164)
Arab0.9%(2,015)
Swiss0.7%(1,645)
Finnish0.6%(1,299)
Ethiopian0.5%(871)
Moroccan0.5%(799)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(774)
Russian0.3%(731)
Ukrainian0.3%(712)
Welsh0.3%(644)
Belgian0.3%(615)
British0.2%(549)
Greek0.2%(543)
Hungarian0.2%(427)
Iraqi0.3%(412)
Austrian0.1%(272)
Iranian0.1%(268)
West Indian0.1%(255)
Egyptian0.1%(246)
Lithuanian0.1%(235)
Canadian0.1%(227)
Croatian0.1%(206)
Slovak0.1%(179)
Romanian0.1%(177)
Lebanese0.1%(169)
Nigerian0.1%(169)
Slovene0.1%(139)
Serbian0.1%(133)
Jamaican0.1%(123)
Armenian0.1%(93)
Ghanaian0.1%(93)
Brazilian0%(88)
Bulgarian0%(78)
Kenyan0%(72)
Guyanese0%(60)
Latvian0%(46)
Turkish0%(34)
Haitian0%(27)
Syrian0%(21)
Jordanian0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
43.1%
+14.4 ptssince 2000
from 28.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.0%
+6.0 ptssince 2000
from 89.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.8%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 10.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.6 min
+65%since 2000
from 12.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
68.9%
−7.6 ptssince 2009
from 76.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.1%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.5%
+9.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 4.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.2%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 72.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
84.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 84.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
20.2%
+5.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
50.8%
+8.6 ptssince 2009
from 42.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
50.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
8.5%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.1%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.7%
+2.2 ptssince 2012
from 8.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.1%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 7.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.0%
+8.0 ptssince 2017
from 83.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.4%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 92.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 86.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
88.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 89.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2016
from 2.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31.8%(28,501)
Married58.3%(52,341)
Widowed2.2%(1,975)
Divorced7.7%(6,924)
Women 15+
Never married28.2%(26,506)
Married54.1%(50,918)
Widowed7.2%(6,746)
Divorced10.5%(9,895)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.1%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 7.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
68.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 68.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 17.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
14.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
79.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 79.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
31.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 30.4% 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)19.4%(2,068)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.3%(1,842)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.5%(4,213)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.5%(586)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.7%(178)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 10,678 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
Over time

Rochester, decade by decade

Rochester population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990162,722$77,599$152,14423.3%8.3
2000184,740$87,787$196,17228.7%19.7
2010206,877$87,649$240,53733.2%29.6
2020226,329$94,044$265,12040.5%41.7
2024228,522$92,495$310,93343.1%42.6

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

In this metro

Largest cities

RochesterCENTRAL124,292Kasson7,350Stewartville6,850Byron6,740Plainview3,482Chatfield3,018Dodge Center2,951Wabasha2,599Spring Valley2,431Oronoco2,043Eyota2,013Blooming Prairie1,935Rushford1,849Hayfield1,358Preston1,318Elgin1,137Mantorville1,106Harmony1,028Mazeppa878West Concord842Rushford796Dover761Lanesboro712Mabel700Claremont500Wykoff437Kellogg423Fountain400Marion314Canton313

The 30 most populous of 38 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

4 component counties

Olmsted CountyCENTRAL166,731Fillmore County21,540Wabasha County21,537Dodge County21,376
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Rochester

Burlington
Pop 227,803
Charlottesville
Pop 228,597
Barnstable
Pop 233,539
Midland
Pop 193,139
Places similar to Rochester
Head to head

Compare Rochester side by side

ROCHESTER VS
Burlington
Income$93,347+1%
Home value$408,278+31%
Population227,803−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCHESTER VS
Charlottesville
Income$93,985+2%
Home value$445,185+43%
Population228,597−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCHESTER VS
Barnstable
Income$95,241+3%
Home value$629,000+102%
Population233,539+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCHESTER VS
Midland
Income$92,899same
Home value$308,703−1%
Population193,139−16%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rochester, MN?

Rochester, MN has about 228,522 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Rochester, MN?

The typical household in Rochester, MN earns about $92,495 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rochester, MN expensive?

In Rochester, MN, the median home is worth about $310,933, and the typical rent is about $1,233 a month.

How educated are people in Rochester, MN?

About 43.1% of adults age 25 and over in Rochester, MN hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rochester, MN?

About 7.5% of people in Rochester, MN live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rochester, MN grown since 1990?

Yes, Rochester, MN has grown since 1990. The population has added about 65,800 residents, a change of about 40 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Rochester, MN: population, income & housing data · CensusEasy