Business
Brookings Institute ranks Rochester Among Top Metros for Patents
Greater Rochester ranks 13th among metropolitan regions for the number of patents issued per million residents, with the largest subcategory of patents granted for optics research.
According to Brookings Institute report, "San Francisco, Boston, Austin, Seattle, San Diego, Portland, Rochester, and Minneapolis are in the upper tier of large metros that produce patents at high volumes and rates."
(Source: Brookings Institute 2013 report "Patenting Prosperity: Invention and Economic Performance in the United States and its Metropolitan Areas.")
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)
Abundance of Fresh Water
There is an unlimited fresh water supply right here in the Greater Rochester, NY Region. No water rationing or water rights fees and rates well below the national average make our region attractive for food processing, agriculture, and advanced manufacturing.
Technology
#1 in the U.S. for patents issued per 1000 workers
Rochester is ranked #1 in the U.S. for patents issued per 1000 workers (source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, April 2015)
Rochester's Tech Economy Ranks High
A
report published in Brookings Metro about the digitalization of the U.S. economy ranks Rochester, NY as the 15th most "digitalized" economy among the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S.
#1 Market for Hiring Cybersecurity Talent
CBRE Labor Analytics just issued a
report that ranks Rochester, NY 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. (2020)
Top Metro in US for Future Growth
Rochester is the top metro in the US for future growth and strategic investment in tech innovation (MIT Economics, 2019)
Education
11 Rochester Area High Schools Rank Among Top 10% in U.S.
In U.S. News and World Report's 2020 evaluation of nearly 18,000 public high schools, 11 schools in the Greater Rochester, N.Y. region are
among the top 10 percent. They are Pittsford Sutherland High School (240), Pittsford Mendon High School (253), Honeoye Falls-Lima Senior High School (299), Brighton High School (834), Victor Senior High School (873), Webster Thomas High School (918), Penfield Senior High School (955), Geneseo Middle School High School (1,209), Fairport Senior High School (1,296), Canandaigua Academy (1,462), and Rush-Henrietta Senior High School (1,512).
Nationally Recognized Workforce Training
Monroe Community College is noted by the Aspen Institute's 2019 "Workforce Playbook" as one of 6 schools in the US leading the way in innovative workforce development.
Read more here. (June 2019)
RIT Video Game Program Ranked No. 2 by Princeton Review
Rochester Institute of Technology is one of the top schools in the world to study game design and launch games, according to new international rankings from The Princeton Review. RIT's game design and development program was ranked second at the undergraduate level and fourth at the graduate level. (The Princeton Review, 2017)
Living and Culture
Rochester Among 9 Best Cities in America to Visit in 2020
Smarter Travel notes the 200
th birthday of Susan B. Anthony and the 100
th anniversary of the 19
th amendment as reasons to visit Rochester, NY, along with downtown revitalization, a booming food and drink scene, High Falls, The Strong, George Eastman Museum and the Memorial Art Gallery.
Read more.
Rochester area makes top 10 for realtor.com's hottest markets in 2020
Rochester, NY was
ranked 6th among top metro areas for 2020. Realtor.com expects the Rochester market to remain steadfast next year, though the U.S. housing market should cool down. (December 2019)
Rochester, NY is the Hottest Real Estate Market
Rochester, NY, topped realtor.com's list of the hottest markets in America for the first time, propelled by price-conscious buyers of all generations interested in urban living. And why not? Perched on Lake Ontario, the city has its own university, good public schools, and over 12,000 acres of parkland, and it's just a stone's throw away from the wine-growing Finger Lakes region. (June 2019)
13th Best Place to Live in the U.S. for Quality of Life
According to U.S. News & World Report, Rochester is the
13th Best Place to Live in the U.S. for Quality of Life. Short commutes and high-quality education were key factors. (2018)
Forbes ranks Rochester, NY one of the 10 Most Affordable Cities to Buy a Home
Forbes ranks Rochester, NY one of the
10 Most Affordable Cities to Buy a Home
It’s also been on the radar of many housing experts as people leave Manhattan for more space and lower housing costs. (source: Forbes 2021)
One of Top Cities in U.S. Where Millennials Are Moving Most
Greater Rochester, NY is among the top 18 metro areas in the U.S. where Millennials are moving to the most in 2019, according to the National Association of Realtors in a
Bloomberg News report. Millennials born between 1980 and 1998 represent more than two-thirds of new Rochester residents, and Rochester is in the top five among metros where recent millennial movers have a higher income than the current millennial population.
Rochester Homes 48% More Affordable Than the National Average
At $166,000, the median home sales price is 48% more affordable than the national average. Approximately 79% of area homes are affordable for our region's median income. NAHB Housing Opportunity Index (Q4 2020)
Rochester a Top Destination for Millennial Homeowners
A
2019 report from Lending Tree shows that Rochester, NY is among the top 10 cities in the U.S. where Millennials are entering the housing market.
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)
Rochester health care costs among lowest in U.S.
Rochester's health care costs are the
4th lowest in the nation (Institute of Medicine, 2015)
Among Top Ten "Coziest Cities"
Rochester ranks among the top ten
"Coziest Cities in America" based on high scores in reading books, knitting/needlework and cafes, coffee shops and tea houses as well as a high percentage of homes with a fireplace. Other cities on the list include hot markets like Boston, Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Portland, OR. (U.S. News and World Report, 2019)
Finger Lakes Named America's Top Wine Region
For the second straight year, the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York has been named the best wine region in the United States in a national poll conducted by
USA Today and its travel site, 10Best.com. (August 2019)
Rochester is a Low Risk for Natural Disasters
Recent map from
Popular Science article shows Rochester, NY is a low risk for natural disasters (August 2014)
10 Least Stressed Out Cities
Short commutes and moderate living costs earned Rochester the number two spot on
CNN Money's list of 10 Least Stressed Out Cities. (July 2014)
Rochester Tops for Volunteerism
Rochester
ranks 2nd among large US metros for volunteer hours per resident. (source: Corporation for National & Community Service, 2018)
Health
7th Best Place to Live in After the Coronavirus Pandemic
According to Business Insider, Rochester, NY is the
7th best place to live in 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. (June 2020)
Rochester's Health Care is Among the Best in the Country
Rochester's health care costs are among the lowest in the country.
Commercial insurance costs are 30% below the national average.
Recreation
Finger Lakes Region One of the Best Places to Visit in 2020
Bloomberg named the Finger Lakes region one of the best places to visit in 2020. (January 2020)
One of the Top 10 Golf Cities
Rochester, NY was named one of the
Top 10 Best Golf Cities in America. (source: Golf.com)
The Strong Museum of Play Among Best Museums in U.S.
USA Today ranked The Strong as the #3
“Best Museum for Families” in the country: (2017)
Finger Lakes is One of the Best Places to Visit After the Pandemic
Finger Lakes one of the Top 16 Truly Interesting Places in the US that belong on your Post-Pandemic Travel List (source: BuzzFeed 2021)