Population

Rochester is New York State's third-largest city, with a population of approx 207,778 residents within the city limits as of 2020. The past five years have seen a slight decrease of about 3,000 - 4,000 residents but has remained steady the last two years with almost no change. ¹

The greater Rochester area (or Rochester MSA), which includes all of Monroe County and five other surrounding counties, has a population of just over one million.

According to https://www.citytistics.com the population density is about 5,734 people per square mile, giving it a dense urban feel. The typical family has on average 3.2 people, including children and parents, and the most considerable age demographic is people in their 20s and 30s with a median age of about 32.

Of all major U.S. cities, the city has one of the highest percentages of Puerto Ricans and one of the largest Turkish American populations. It also has one of the largest Jamaican American communities with a sizable community of Polish Americans.

Rochester was one of the first boomtowns in the United States and gained people suddenly due to flour mills on the Genesee River. Historically the city has been a manufacture of flour gained it the nickname "the Flour City." However, it is now more widely known for the annual Lilac Festival as "the Flower City" among other great features. During this boom Rochester reached the highest population of 332,488 residents in 1950.