The Rochester metro area is a seven county area located in western New York, with Rochester, also known as The Flower City, as its anchoring city. It is the second wealthiest and most economically productive MSA in the state of New York, behind only NYC.

The greater Rochester area has seen steady growth over the last couple of decades. Recently, the city has been voted as one of the top cities to raise a family, one of the best places for quality life, and the city has the lowest cost of living among major metro areas in New York. This has made the Rochester area a prime destination for families looking to settle down, and people looking for work. This has led to an influx of immigrants looking to start a new life.

Total Population: 1,081,954

(An increase of 0.21 % in the past 5 years.)

Census Data

• Foreign Born - 71,365
• Language Spoken at Home - 103,813

Quick Facts

• The Rochester metro area is the third largest in the state of New York, and the second most productive.


• The immigrant population in Rochester has increased by twelve percent in just the last three years.


• Approximately 58% of the foreign-born population have arrived in Rochester after 1990.


• The neighborhoods surrounding the two colleges in Rochester have the highest rate of foreign-born citizens.


• The Asian and Hispanic populations, the two largest foreign-born ethnic groups in Rochester, have both more than doubled over the last two decades.


• Approximately 2,000 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in Rochester since 2008.