Rochester Information

Located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, and on the northern edge of the Finger Lakes region, Rochester is the third most populous city in New York.

The metropolitan area is home to more than 1 million people. Rochester is a three hour drive from Toronto and a one hour flight from New York City. Niagara Falls is about an hour away.

Rochester is widely recognized for its quality of life and the surprising depth and breadth of its cultural, academic, and outdoor resources. Residents enjoy modest housing prices and short commutes, while taking advantage of a first class music and arts scene and outstanding recreational opportunities.

Recently, Rochester has been judged:

#1 in Quality of Life according to Expansion Management magazine, May/June 2007 (of U.S. cities with 1,000,000+ population).
6th Best Place to Live according to the 2007 Places Rated Almanac (among 379 metropolitan areas in the U.S.).
6th for "Best Places with Best Education," upon the basis of both Education and Place criteria by Forbes magazine (2003).
7th among the "10 Best Cities to Raise a Family" based on pediatric health and services, cost of living, economic strength, quality of life, education and environmental quality criteria, by Child magazine (2003).
12th healthiest place for women, among the 100 largest metropolitan areas nationwide, according to Self magazine (December, 2007).
3rd healthiest city for men, on the basis of health, environment, and fitness by Men's Health magazine (2003).
7th cleanest city in America by Reader’s Digest magazine (July 2005).
34th nationally in housing affordability, with a median home sales price of $115,000 (NAHB Housing Opportunity Index, Q3 2007).
#6 in quality of Metro Area Public Schools by Expansion Management magazine, 2006 (among mid-sized metropolitan areas).
Two Rochester area public high schools are ranked in Newsweek’s “100 Best High Schools in America.” Another three are included in the top 200 (2007).

First settled in the early 1800s, Rochester has been called the “World’s Imaging Center,” thanks to the presence of Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb, a host of smaller optics and photographic companies, the Center for Imaging Science at RIT, and the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester. The area is home to highly successful companies like Wegmans Food Markets, Paychex, Constellation Brands, and Nalgene. Rochester is also known for two of its most famous residents: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.

Rochester has impressive cultural resources. The Eastman School of Music is consistently ranked first in the country and its students and faculty contribute to a thriving musical scene. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performs in a recently restored, world class theater, originally endowed by George Eastman. The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film is the world’s oldest photography museum. The Strong – National Museum of Play is a Smithsonian affiliate and home to the National Toy Hall of Fame. Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery, is well known for both the quality and breadth of its collection. Rare treasures for a city of Rochester’s size, Geva Theatre is the most attended regional, professional theatre in New York State and The Little Theatre, founded in 1928, offers five screens of foreign and independent cinema.

The seasons in Rochester and Western New York are quite distinct. Summers are pleasant, with highs in the high 70s and low 80s, and fall and spring are particularly beautiful. Winter in Rochester is relatively mild, yet there is abundant snow for winter sports, with many nearby options for downhill and cross-country skiing. The surrounding countryside offers extensive opportunities for golf, hiking, biking, boating, and wine-tasting, in the internationally-recognized Finger Lakes Wine Region.

For more information:
Rochester Living Rochester Housing Rochester Relocation Rochester Tourism