Can you afford to live in Rochester?

Median household income, home values and rent in Rochester, NY — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.

What it costs to live in Rochester.

Median household income: $46,628 — +50.6% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)

Median gross rent: $1,039/mo — +34.9% since 2015

Median home value, 2015 to 2023

• 2015: 76200
• 2023: 120600

Median household income

• Rochester: 46628
• Monroe County: 74409
• NY: 84578
• U.S.: 78538

Median gross rent

• Rochester: 1039
• Monroe County: 1126
• NY: 1576
• U.S.: 1348

Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 31.8% — U.S.: 30.2%

What it means

The typical household here earns $46,628 — far lower than the national figure of $78,538.

The typical renter here spends 31.8% of household income on rent, above the 30% level housing agencies use to define cost burden.

Since 2015, income has kept pace with rent here (+50.6% versus +34.9%), before adjusting for inflation.