1. Welcome to Rochester! Greater Rochester, NY offers a variety of benefits to those relocating to the
area. Our city is one of America's top-rated places to live, work and play. In addition to arts,
entertainment, and sports, the area offers a variety of great communities to live in. Rochester is
recognized as one of the top 10 most affordable housing markets in the country, based on percentage of
house an average family can afford. (Source: Economy.com). Located in Western NY, the city is
within a six hour drive of 8 major metropolitan areas. In addition, the beautiful Finger Lakes and the
Adirondack Mountain range are in close proximity.
Fast Facts
Population: 1.1 million, 79th largest in US
The community now boasts eight colleges/universities, 65 visual and performing arts groups (including
one of the top 20 U.S. orchestras), 11,000 acres of parkland and 11 library branches in the city alone,
plus six TV and 11 radio stations.
Median income: $56k; Median home/condo value: $120K (48% lower than US average), Median rent:
$650
Average commute time: 19min
Home to more than 70 bio tech companies, with a concentration in vision science and medical
imaging.
The Rochester Region was ranked #1 for Overall Quality of Life among metros with a population of
more than 1 million. Source: Expansion Management, May/June 2007
Popular Science ranks Rochester 19th of 140 metropolitan areas in the magazine's "Top Tech cities"
rankings.
Popular Science, March 2005
Ranked 26th among the "Top 40 U.S. Biotech Locations."
Business Facilities: The Location Advisor, 2003
Ranked 7th among the "10 Best Cities to Raise a Family" based on pediatric health characteristics and
services, cost of living, economic strength, quality of life, education and environmental quality criteria.
Child Magazine, 2003
Tax Info
Sales tax = 8% (4% State, 4% County)
Real Estate = between 2.5-4.5% of assessment (includes home & school taxes) depending on town
State income tax information and rates
http://www.tax.state.ny.us/pdf/stats/policy_special/handbook_of_new_york_state_and_local_taxe
s_october_2006.pdf
STAR tax exemption
http://www.orps.state.ny.us/star/index.cfm
Property Tax, Municipal Tax and school Tax rates
http://www.orps.state.ny.us/cfapps/MuniPro/osc/county/CountyoscOptionSelect.cfm
General tax information

2. http://www.nysegov.com/citGuide.cfm?superCat=212
Housing
The area offers a wide variety of single family homes, condominiums and rental units.
A May 2008 Money magazine survey of the nation's 100 largest markets on Wednesday ranked
Rochester No. 2 for expected home price appreciation during the next 12 months.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/0805/gallery.resg_gainers.moneymag/2.html
Home Sale Information: http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice
MLS Home Listings: http://www.homesteadnet.com/
Affordable Housing U.S. Rochester, NY MSA
Median Housing Sales Price* $206,200 $120,800
Median Family Income** $58,526 $59,827
National Affordability Rank*** - 39
Owner Occupied Housing Units** 67.3% 69.7%
Median Cash Rent** $763 $694
Homes Affordable for Median Income*** 46.6% 78.2%
Average Household Size** 2.71 2.65
Sources:
*National Association of Realtors, Q4 2007
**US Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey
***NAHB Housing Opportunity Index, Q4 2007
From USA Today article 4/15/08
(http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/closetohome/2008-04-14-rochester-new-
york_N.htm)

3. Schools
Home to world renowned colleges and universities including: University of Rochester and Rochester
Institute of Technology.
Two of the Rochester area public high schools ranked in "The 100 Best High Schools in America."
(Brighton #87, and Pittsford Mendon #94) Newsweek, 2007
Ranked 3rd for the number of college graduates with life sciences degrees per capita
U.S. Department of Education, 2001
"Rochester, NY, Metro Area Public Schools Ranked #6 Nationally Among Large Sized Metros."
Expansion Management, December 2007
19 Area Colleges and Universities: http://www.rochesterbiz.com/Living/Education/
K-12 Schools: http://www.schoolsk-12.com/New-York/Rochester/schools.html
Sports
Voted America's best minor league sports town. Also offers a wide variety of community based sports
programs for children and teenagers.

4. Professional, Amateur and Youth Sports: http://www.rochesternysites.com/sportsk.htm
Rochester Named One of the 10 Best Golf Cities in America
• Golf Magazine and the National Golf Foundation named Rochester one of the 10 Best Golf Cities in
America. (Golf Magazine, Nov. 2007)
Best Minor League Sports Market In America
• Rochester, NY was rated the best minor league sports market in America by Street & Smith's Sports
Business Journal, July 2005
Big Business
Eastman Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, and Wegmans Groceries were all founded in Rochester and
continue to maintain a strong presence in the area.
Companies move to Rochester to be part of the creative excitement and to capitalize on the proximity
to both suppliers and customers.
Rochester's economy continues to evolve from a Big Three town to a more diversified mix of:
 High-technology manufacturers
 Imaging and optics
 Information and business services
 Food and beverage
 Printing and publishing
 Telecommunications
Companies, educational institutions, and medical facilities are driving cutting-edge research and
programs in such areas as:
 Biotech
 Digital imaging
 Fuel cells
 Health imaging
 Photonics
Source: Greater Rochester Enterprise
Top 50 Employers: http://www.rochesterbiz.com/Data/Top%2050%20Employer%20-%20test.pdf
Other Helpful Resources
City Site: http://www.ci.rochester.ny.us/
County Site: http://www.monroecounty.gov/
Visitors Bureau: http://www.visitrochester.com/
Community: http://www.rochestermadeforliving.com/
Greater Rochester Enterprise: http://www.rochesterbiz.com/GRE/