Rochester appears affordable relative to its own citywide benchmarks: median gross rent ($1,081/month) represents about 27.5% of median monthly household income ($3,934), which is below the 30% affordability threshold often used for housing costs. Median owner-occupied home value ($139,600) is roughly 2.95 times median annual household income, suggesting homeownership may be accessible for many residents, though individual circumstances vary.
Rochester at a glance
What the default budget models
A one-person renting household begins with a modeled annual core-cost baseline of $27,972. It combines the ACS median gross-rent estimate with a uniform $1,250 monthly non-housing baseline. State income tax is excluded until a current official reference is approved; the calculator labels that limitation instead of guessing.
| 2024 ACS population estimate | 208,772 |
| 2024 ACS median household income | $47,213 |
| 2024 ACS median gross rent | $1,081 |
| 2024 ACS median owner-occupied home value | $139,600 |
| Derived one-way commute estimate | 21 minutes |
| State-tax treatment | Excluded — official reference pending |
| Rent-to-income reference | 27% |
The trade-off
Relative strength: Housing costs align closely with local income levels.. Watch closely: affordability may reflect lower income levels rather than low housing costs alone..
Compare Rochester
Frequently asked questions
Is rent in Rochester affordable for the average household?
Median gross rent of $1,081 per month is about 27.5% of median monthly household income ($3,934), which falls below the 30% threshold often used to gauge rental affordability, suggesting it is affordable for the typical household based on citywide averages.
How does home value compare to income in Rochester?
The median owner-occupied home value of $139,600 is approximately 2.95 times the median annual household income of $47,213, indicating home prices are modest relative to local earnings, though actual affordability depends on down payment, credit, and lending terms.
Source ledger
Every production input below is retained with its publisher and dataset. The ACS figures are five-year estimates, not live listings or guarantees.
- PopulationU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B01003
- Median household incomeU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B19013
- Median gross rentU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25064
- Median owner-occupied home valueU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25077
- Commute-time distributionU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B08303
Interpretation: The ACS 2024 five-year estimates generally summarize observations across 2020–2024. The commute number is a weighted midpoint estimate from table B08303. State income tax is not included in the modeled take-home result. Verify a current address, quote, commute, and tax situation before making a decision.