There’s a small city in upstate New York people have discovered delivers everything they need — affordability, great schools, and a lively community.
On the southern shore of Lake Ontario sits Rochester, which has been drawing people who want city life but at a slower pace than New York City. Plus, low home prices are a reality.
‘People are realizing you can still build a great life here without spending your whole paycheck just to survive,’ local realtor Christopher Thomas told the Daily Mail.
‘Rochester gives you the space to breathe — to own a home, raise a family, and actually enjoy what you’ve worked for.’
The area also has a booming job market and is the birth place of Wegmans, which started there in 1916 as a single produce cart and has since grown into a major supermarket chain.
It remains deeply rooted in the Rochester community and provides thousands of jobs to the city.
Amazon also announced this week they will have 1,600 jobs available for the upcoming holiday season, all based in Rochester.
American Cruise Lines has also just announced that three new trips in 2026 will stop in Rochester as they sail along Lake Ontario.
On the southern shore of Lake Ontario sits Rochester, which has been drawing people who want city life but at a slower pace than New York City
Niagara Falls is about an hour’s drive from Rochester and locals like to take day trips to the area for its beauty and outdoor adventures
‘People are realizing you can still build a great life here without spending your whole paycheck just to survive,’ local realtor Christopher Thomas told the Daily Mail
Rochester’s cost of living is 29 percent below New York State’s average, according to US News and World Report. It’s also and 13 percent below the national average.
Thanks to reasonable utility bills and modest home prices, it’s now considered one of the most affordable places in America to own a home. While homes are still priced low, they won’t stay that way for long. Rochester has become one of the country’s most competitive real estate markets.
In March 2025, Monroe County, home to Rochester, ranked fifth nationwide on the National Association of Realtors’ ‘hotness index,’ which tracks buyer demand and housing supply.
Homes there are selling fast and far above asking price because there simply aren’t enough houses for sale in Rochester area, reports the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors.
The average home price rose 10.8 percent from January 2024 to January 2025. It’s now $235,000, according to the group.
‘We’re seeing folks come from all over; New York City, California, even down south — because remote work opened new doors. They visit once, see how far their money goes, and say, “Wait, I could actually have this?”‘ Thomas said.
‘It’s affordability, opportunity, and quality of life all rolled into one.’
The average sale time is just seven days, with an average of six offers on a house. Many sales spark bidding wars with the winner often paying 50 to 75 percent over asking price.
Rochester’s cost of living is 29 percent below New York State’s average, according to US News and World Report. It’s also and 13 percent below the national average
Rochester offers big-city amenities without the big-city price tag, and its homes remain affordable even as buyers are competing to get them
Rochester is the birth place of Wegmans, which started there in 1916 as a single produce cart and has since grown into a major supermarket chain
Rochester is called the Flower City as it’s surrounded by many gardens, rivers, and lakefronts and is known for its stunning fall foliage
‘There just aren’t enough homes for sale to meet the needs of buyers, and competition is challenging,’ Greater Rochester Area Realtor president, Don Simonetti Jr., said in a press release.
A mixture of factors is driving buyers there. Unlike massive metros clogged with traffic, Rochester is easy to navigate. Downtown is walkable, bikeable, and serviced by public buses. The RTS Transit Center offers regional buses, and for longer trips Trailways is downtown.
For national travel, the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport is a short drive away.
Rochester also offers great education opportunities. From community college to elite research universities, it has a strong academic community.
Monroe Community College offers more than 100 programs and there are over 160 undergraduate subjects at the University of Rochester. There is hands-on engineering at RIT, and both religious and liberal arts educations offered at St. John Fisher, Roberts Wesleyan, and Nazareth University.
Rochester is called the Flower City for a reason; it’s surrounded by many gardens, rivers, and lakefronts.
Stroll through Highland Park’s perfectly landscaped 1,200 lilac bushes, ride trails along the Erie Canalway Trail, catch a waterfall at High Falls, or tee off at Durand Eastman Golf Course. Then there’s the beauty of the Finger Lakes and Niagara Falls.
The area is so visually appealing, even Hollywood has found it, with Amazing Spider-Man 2 shot in the area, along with Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.
Rochester has beautiful nature and its own waterfalls, and the entire city is walkable, bikeable and has mass transit available to residents
Parts of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was filmed in downtown Rochester, which served as the backdrop for the film’s car chase sequences
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin filmed a few scenes in Rochester using its fall foliage as backdrop to the series
Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte Ryan Lochte was born in Rochester and he got into swimming there, before moving to Florida when he was 12
In Rochester, your dollar stretches further – think spacious homes, thriving culture, and a short commute from one end of town to the other
With affordable homes, excellent schools, and endless green space, Rochester is ideal for young families
Rochester offers a rich cultural scene too, with no shortage of festivals to suit every taste.
There’s the Rochester Lilac Festival, International Jazz Festival, Fringe Festival, Corn Hill Arts Festival, and Pride Festival.
The city is packed with museums like the Memorial Art Gallery and George Eastman Museum, and the Geva Theater has musicals and ballet.
Families will also never run out of options, with the Seneca Park Zoo and its popular giraffes, polar bears and elephants.
With the influx of residents, Rochester is also turning into a foodie mecca.
There’s always a line for brunch at Atlas Eats Kitchen & Bake Shop, famous for their Turkish eggs and Korean pancakes. Vegans can hit the The Owl House for tofu ‘n’ waffles.
Rochester also has a vibrant nightlife. Locals can be found sipping nine-dollar Pamplemousse Mimosas cocktails at Cure inside the Rochester Public Market or catching live music at Abilene.
‘Rochester is a hidden gem,’ Thomas said.
‘It has everything you want from a big city — culture, restaurants, festivals, a creative scene — but with that small-town heartbeat where people still say hello to you on the street.
‘You can go from downtown to a hiking trail, a jazz concert, or a lakefront view in ten minutes.
‘There’s an authenticity here — a mix of grit and heart — that you just don’t find everywhere.
‘And there’s a real sense that the city is on the rise again — people investing, rebuilding neighborhoods, creating opportunities instead of waiting for them.’