Rochester Rankings
The Greater Rochester, NY region has been consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work.
Photo by Don Race
What is Rochester, NY Known For?
When you list all the things the Greater Rochester, NY region has to offer, it may seem a bit unbelievable. But the reality is, our region really does have it all. Top-tier talent, natural resources, world-class colleges and universities, great location near major markets, and an affordable cost of living. That’s why companies like ams AG, Carestream, IEC Electronics, and Plug Power recently made multimillion-dollar investments in new operations right here in our community. They recognize that Rochester offers great opportunities.
Photo credit: Zackary Laffin / Monroe County
Achieve a Work/Life Balance in One of the Best Regions in America
Business
Top Metro in US for Future Growth
Rochester is the top metro in the US for future growth and strategic investment in tech innovation.
Source: MIT Economics, 2019
Top 10 Best Business Climate
The Rochester, NY region was named to Business Facilities’ list of Top 10 Best Business Climates among mid-sized metros. This ranking is based on growth potential, talent pipeline, quality of life, and affordability.
Source: Business Facilities, July 2022
Innovation
One of the Most Innovative Cities in America
Rochester, NY is recognized as one of the 25 most innovative cities in America based on patent registration and advanced degrees.
Source: 24/7 Wall St. 2018
Technology
Top Metro in the U.S. for Patents
Rochester is ranked #1 in the U.S. for patents issued per 1,000 workers
Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
#1 Market for Hiring Cybersecurity Talent
Rochester, NY is the #1 market in the US for hiring opportunities for cybersecurity talent. This ranking is based on talent availability and hiring competition. Rochester’s leadership role is due in part to the well-trained talent coming out of RIT.
Source: CBRE Labor Analytics Report 2020
Education
9 Rochester Area High Schools Rank Among Top 10% in US
In U.S. News and World Report’s 2023 evaluation of nearly 25,000 public high schools, 9 schools in the Greater Rochester, N.Y. region are among the top 10 percent. They are Pittsford Mendon (261), Pittsford Sutherland (349), Brighton (620), Honeoye Falls-Lima Senior (712), [Webster] Thomas High School (883), Geneseo Middle School High School (1,037), Victor Senior High School (1,044), Penfield Senior High School (1,255), and Fairport Senior High School (1,582).
Living and Culture
3rd Most Affordable City for Housing
Rochester, NY was named the third most affordable city for housing, according to Demographia International Housing Affordability report. Demographia International Housing Affordability uses the “median multiple” to rate middle-income housing affordability. The median multiple is a price-to-income ratio, which is the median house price divided by the gross median household income.
Source: Demographia International Housing Affordability report 2022
6th Most Affordable City to Buy a Home
Forbes ranked Rochester, NY the 6th most affordable city to buy a home. They looked at several factors to gauge affordability, including the median income of that city, average home costs and median real estate taxes.
Source: Forbes 2022
9th Best Place to Live in the U.S. for Quality of Life
According to U.S. News & World Report, Rochester is the 9th Best Place to Live in the U.S. for Quality of Life. Rochester’s people and welcoming community contributed to this ranking.
Source: U.S. News & World Report 2023
Rochester Homes 53% More Affordable than the National Average
At $170,000, the median home sales price is 53% more affordable than the national average. Approximately 83% of area homes are affordable for our region’s median income.
Source: NAHB Housing Opportunity Index (Q1 2023)
Rochester, NY is the #5 Best City in the Country for Remote Workers
Rochester, NY is the #5 Best City in the Country for Remote Workers. Rich cultural amenities, beautiful parks, and exceedingly affordable. It’s the right-sized city.
Source: Ownerly 2021
Health
Rochester is the #1 Best Place in the Northeast and 7th Best City in the US to Live in after Coronavirus Pandemic
According to Business Insider, Rochester, NY is the #1 best place to live in the Northeast after the coronavirus pandemic. Population density, housing affordability, cost of living, commute times, and percentage of residents over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree were factored into this ranking.
Source: Business Insider 2020
Recreation
Finger Lakes is One of the Best Places to Visit After the Pandemic
The Finger Lakes are one of the Top 16 Truly Interesting Places in the US that belong on your Post-Pandemic Travel List.
source: BuzzFeed 2021
Rochester Ranks 17th for Arts Vibrancy
Rochester, NY is the 17th most “arts vibrant” place in the country, according to the National Center for Arts Research annual Arts Vibrancy Index.
(July 2018)
Once people get here and their families get used to short commute times, low home prices, the fact we have all kinds of recreational sporting activities, the quality of schools, they don’t want to leave.
Arunas Chesonis
CEO and Chairman, Sweetwater Energy
You know your business.
We know Greater Rochester.
Let’s team up.
Photo by John Kucko
Thank You To Our Investors
Rochester has a great work base. They’re loyal. They’re smart. They’re well educated and they want to succeed.
Jim Continenza
Executive Chairman and CEO, Eastman Kodak
We keep and maintain and are investing specifically in Rochester because that is where the talent is. We don’t succeed without the right talent.
David Velasquez
Vice President and General Manager, Corning Incorporated
Rochester has the manufacturing capability, testing capability, and intellectual horsepower.
Matt Fronk
Past Chairman, NY BEST
Rochester has a deep talent pool around all of the things that we need to do to commercialize advanced materials for the energy economy.
Ben Britton
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Ionomr
The decision to expand locally was a relatively easy one for CooperVision. The Rochester area has provided so many of the elements necessary for a successful operation.
Jerry Warner
President, CooperVision
The proximity to top colleges and industry-leading companies, in addition to the quality of life in Western New York, made the decision to open our second office in Rochester an easy one.
Mike Pinch
Director, Security Risk Advisors
Rochester is home to some of the finest optics companies in the nation, almost all of which OptiPro does business with.
Mike Bechtold
President, OptiPro
We have a long history of people skilled in aerospace technology and precision optical assembly. We take advantage of the industrial base in the Rochester area. We also take advantage of the skill sets developed by our local technical institutions like MCC, RIT, or the University of Rochester.”
Tony Whitman
Cryogenic Optical Test Director for James Webb Space Telescope, L3 Harris
We have inherited an exceptional quality of life thanks to an impressive cluster of cultural organizations, unparalleled natural resources, and a resilient and welcoming spirit of community.
David Munson
President, Rochester Insititute of Technology
Once people get here and their families get used to short commute times, low home prices, the fact we have all kinds of recreational sporting activities, the quality of schools, they don’t want to leave.
Arunas Chesonis
CEO and Chairman, Sweetwater Energy
Rochester has provided ID Signsystems with the ability to grow and develop by tapping into the region’s large pool of design-focused talent, technicians, engineers and sign makers.
Paul Dudley
President, ID Signsystems
Our network of local universities, colleges, and optics companies has created a workforce pipeline that is unmatched anywhere in the United States.
Joseph Spilman
President, Optimax
GRE’s direction and guidance proved to be well worth our investment. Their passion to make the business environment in the Rochester area greater is very apparent.
Scott MacCaull
Workplace Interiors
There is unlimited, untapped technical talent in the area and I hope we start a wave of other companies moving to Rochester.
Austin McChord
Founder, Datto
Rochester has a long history of being a hub for telecommunications. There is a rich ecosystem of talent and services to support business growth.
Jai Ramachandran
Founder and CEO, Wire3
Rochester is the perfect size city to get business done. I’m always one connection away from anything I’m looking for.
Zack Phillips
President, Kink BMX
The work we’ve done and the momentum we’ve generated as a business has been possible in large part because of the talent, knowledge and industriousness of our people in Rochester, NY.
Dave Fall
CEO, Brand Networks
We have access to talent graduating from our businesses and technical institutions capable of perpetuating our success for years to come.
Marc Iacona
President & CEO, Simcona Electronics
The Rochester region provided convenient access to both railroads and major highways, as well as proximity to Barilla’s customer base in the Northeast.
Fabio Pettenati
Vice President of Supply Chain, Barilla America
We’re excited about this area. There’s high-quality milk in the region. There’s a lot of top talent. The industry, the innovation, the technical experience , the work ethic is all attractive to us.
Phil LaMothe
Vice President of Manufacturing, fairlife
The country is starting to recognize Rochester as a technical city outside of just software. We have optics and manufacturing that’s exceeding most of the baselines around the country.
Craig Lamb
Co-owner, Envative
Rochester has the resources optics companies need to transform their concepts into reality.
Dr. Duncan T. Moore
Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship and Professor of Optical Engineering
Rochester has a great base of intellectual capital in the science and technology fields at local businesses and universities.
Daniel J. Burns
Regional President, M&T Bank Corporation
We’ve developed vaccines to prevent cervical cancer right here in Rochester.
Peter Robinson
Vice President and COO, University of Rochester Medical Center
Among many great options, none could match Rochester in terms of talent, local supplier networks, and opportunities to partner with top-tier research institutions.
Andy Marsh
CEO, Plug Power