The Rochester metropolitan area, denoted the Rochester, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area by the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, is a
metropolitan statistical area consisting of six counties in
Western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...
, anchored by the city of
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
. Many counties are mainly rural with various farming communities scattered throughout the metropolitan area. As of the
2020 census, the MSA had a population of 1,090,135.
The Rochester MSA is the 3rd largest MSA in New York state.
Counties
Metropolitan area
*
Livingston
*
Monroe
Monroe or Monroes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Monroe (surname)
* Monroe (given name)
* James Monroe, 5th President of the United States
* Marilyn Monroe, actress and model
Places United States
* Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...
*
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
*
Orleans
*
Wayne
Micropolitan statistical area
*
Genesee
*
Seneca
Communities
Places with more than 100,000 inhabitants
*
Rochester (Principal city)
Places with 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants
*
Irondequoit (suburb)
*
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
(suburb)
Places with 25,000 to 50,000 inhabitants
*
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
(suburb)
*
Chili (suburb)
*
Gates (suburb)
*
Henrietta (suburb)
*
Perinton (suburb)
*
Penfield (suburb)
*
Pittsford (suburb)
*
Webster (suburb)
Places with 10,000 to 25,000 inhabitants
*
Arcadia (town)
*
Canandaigua
Canandaigua () is a city in Ontario County, New York, United States. Its population was 10,576 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ontario County; some administrative offices are at the county complex in the adjacent town of Hopewell. ...
(city)
*
Canandaigua
Canandaigua () is a city in Ontario County, New York, United States. Its population was 10,576 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ontario County; some administrative offices are at the county complex in the adjacent town of Hopewell. ...
(town)
*
Farmington (town)
*
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
(city; partial)
*
Geneseo (town)
*
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
(census-designated place)
*
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
(town)
*
Ogden (suburb)
*
Parma
Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
(suburb)
*
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
(suburb)
*
Victor (town)
Places with 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants
*
Albion
Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than "Britain" today. The name for Scot ...
(town)
*
Albion
Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than "Britain" today. The name for Scot ...
(village)
*
Avon (town)
*
Brockport (village)
*
Clarkson (town)
*
East Rochester (village and town)
*
Fairport (village)
*
Hamlin (town)
*
Hilton (village)
*
Livonia
Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia.
By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...
(town)
*
Lyons
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
(town)
*
Macedon
Macedonia ( ; , ), also called Macedon ( ), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by the royal ...
(town)
*
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
(town)
*
Medina
Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
(village)
*
Mendon (town)
*
Murray (town)
*
Newark (village)
*
North Dansville (town)
*
Palmyra
Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...
(town)
*
Phelps (town)
*
Ridgeway (town)
*
Riga
Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
(town)
*
Shelby (town)
*
Sodus (town)
*
Walworth
Walworth ( ) is a district of South London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross.
Major streets in Walworth include the ...
(town)
*
Webster (village)
*
Wheatland (town)
*
Williamson (town)
Places with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants
*
Avon (village)
*
Barre (town)
*
Bloomfield (village)
*
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
(town)
*
Butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
(town)
*
Caledonia
Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the forested region in the central and western Scottish Highlands, particularly stretching through parts of what are now Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as ...
(town)
*
Caledonia
Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the forested region in the central and western Scottish Highlands, particularly stretching through parts of what are now Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as ...
(village)
*
Canadice (town)
*
Carlton (town)
*
Churchville (village)
*
Clarendon (town)
*
Clifton Springs (village)
*
Clyde (village)
*
Conesus (town)
*
Dansville (village)
*
East Bloomfield (town)
*
Gaines (town)
*
Galen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...
(town)
*
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
(town)
*
Gorham (town)
*
Groveland (town)
*
Holley (village)
*
Honeoye Falls (village)
*
Hopewell (town)
*
Huron (town)
*
Kendall (town)
*
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
(town)
*
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
(village)
*
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
(town)
*
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
(village)
*
Livonia
Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia.
By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...
(village)
*
Lyndonville (village)
*
Lyons
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
(village)
*
Macedon
Macedonia ( ; , ), also called Macedon ( ), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by the royal ...
(village)
*
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
(village)
*
Marion (town)
*
Mount Morris (town)
*
Mount Morris (village)
*
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
(town)
*
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
(village)
*
Nunda (town)
*
Nunda (village)
*
Ossian
Ossian (; Irish Gaelic/Scottish Gaelic: ''Oisean'') is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson, originally as ''Fingal'' (1761) and ''Temora (poem), Temora'' (1763), and later c ...
(town)
*
Palmyra
Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...
(village)
*
Phelps (village)
*
Pittsford (village)
*
Portage
Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...
(town)
*
Red Creek (village)
*
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
(town)
*
Rose
A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...
(town)
*
Rush (town)
*
Rushville (village; partial)
*
Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
(town)
*
Scottsville (village)
*
Seneca (town)
*
Shortsville (village)
*
Sodus (village)
*
Sodus Point (village)
*
South Bristol (town)
*
Sparta
Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...
(town)
*
Spencerport (village)
*
Springwater (town)
*
Victor (village)
*
West Bloomfield (town)
*
West Sparta (town)
*
Wolcott (town)
*
Wolcott (village)
*
Yates (town)
*
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
(town)
Demographics
As of the census
of 2000, there were 1,037,831 people, 397,303 households, and 262,131 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 83.35%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 10.73%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.27%
Native American, 1.90%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.99% from
other races, and 1.73% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 4.50% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $42,733, and the median income for a family was $50,687. Males had a median income of $36,777 versus $25,999 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $19,626.
The Rochester NY MSA is the third largest economy and the fourth wealthiest region in all of NYS after New York City, Buffalo, and Albany.
Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls Combined statistical area
The Rochester–
Batavia–
Seneca Falls combined statistical area is made up of eight counties in western New York. The
combined statistical area includes one
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
and two
micropolitan areas. As of the 2020 Census, the CSA had a population of 1,182,337.
*Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
**Rochester (Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, and Wayne counties)
*Micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs)
**Batavia (
Genesee County)
**Seneca Falls (
Seneca County)
Economy
Metropolitan Rochester has the third largest regional economy in all of NYS, after the NYC and
Buffalo areas.
Top regional employers
As of 2016
Major shopping centers
*Rochester Public Market
*Village Gate Square
*
The Marketplace Mall (located in the suburb of Henrietta)
*
The Mall at Greece Ridge (located in the suburb of Greece)
*
Eastview Mall
Eastview Mall, located in Victor, New York (near Rochester, New York), is a regional indoor shopping center owned and managed by Wilmorite Properties. The mall features JCPenney, Macy's, Von Maur, and Dick's House of Sport.
Eastview is locate ...
(located in the town of Victor)
*
Pittsford Plaza (located in the town of Pittsford)
Former shopping centers
*
Midtown Plaza (Closed as of July 29, 2008 and demolished 2010)
*
Irondequoit Mall (Located in the suburb of Irondequoit) (Closed since April 2010)
Colleges and universities

The Rochester area, particularly in Monroe County, has a large number of colleges and universities. In 2010, the metropolitan area was ranked the eighth-best (among "mid-sized" metros between 1 million and 2.5 million in population) in the United States by the
American Institute for Economic Research
The American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) is a classical liberal think tank located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1933 by Edward C. Harwood, an economist and investment advisor, and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. ...
.
Education is one of Rochester's primary economic areas. The six-county region is home to a number of
colleges and universities:
*Livingston County
**
SUNY Geneseo
The State University of New York College at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo State College or, colloquially, "Geneseo") is a public liberal arts college in Geneseo (village), New York, Geneseo, New York (state), New York. It is New York's public ho ...
*Monroe County
**
Bryant & Stratton College in Greece and Henrietta
**
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
**
Empire State College
Empire State University (SUNY Empire) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State University is a multi-site institution offering associate degre ...
's Genesee Valley Learning Center
**
Monroe Community College
**
Nazareth University
**
Roberts Wesleyan College in Chili
**
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private university, private research university in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York, Rochester. It was founded in 1829. It is one of only two institute of technology, institut ...
**
St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry
**
St. John Fisher University
**
SUNY Brockport
State University of New York at Brockport (also known as SUNY Brockport or Brockport State, and previously The College at Brockport) is a public university in Brockport, New York, United States. It is part of the State University of New York (S ...
**
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...
*Ontario County
**
Finger Lakes Community College
Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) is a Public college, public community college in Canandaigua, New York. It is affiliated with the State University of New York and sponsored by Ontario County, New York, Ontario County. The main campus is ...
**
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Geneva, New York. They trace their origins to Geneva Academy established in 1797. Students can choose from ove ...
Together with
Alfred State College,
Alfred University
Alfred University is a private university in Alfred, New York, United States. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the statutory New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The In ...
,
Corning Community College,
Genesee Community College,
Houghton College
Houghton University is a Private university, private Christian liberal arts college in Houghton, New York, United States. Houghton was founded in 1883 by Willard J. Houghton and is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church.[Keuka College
Keuka College is a private college in Keuka Park, New York, United States.
Founded in 1890, It is Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, classified among "Master's Colleges and Universities (small)" and Higher education accreditat ...]
, and
Wells College and
New York Chiropractic College, all within 90 miles of Rochester, these institutions comprise the
Rochester Area Colleges consortium.
University of Rochester
The
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...
(U of R), ranked as the 29th best university in the nation by
U.S. News & World Report and was deemed "one of the new Ivies." The nursing school has received many awards and honors and the
Simon School of Business is also ranked in the top 30 in many categories.
The University of Rochester's
Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) is home to the highest power
laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
in the world, the OMEGA EP laser.
The university is also home to the
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...
, which in 2004 was ranked the number one music school in America.
Rochester Institute of Technology

The
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private university, private research university in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York, Rochester. It was founded in 1829. It is one of only two institute of technology, institut ...
(RIT) was founded in 1829 and is the tenth largest private university in the country in terms of full-time students. It is internationally known for its science, computer, engineering, and art programs, as well as for the
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is the first and largest technological college in the world for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. As one of nine colleges within the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Roches ...
, a leading deaf-education institution.
RIT is among the top colleges and universities in the nation for programs in the fine arts, placing in the top 10 for many of the college's programs, including Photography (3rd), Glass art (2nd), Industrial design (8th), and others. RIT's undergraduate programs have been featured as one of nation's best in the
Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...
, and its undergraduate engineering programs have been ranked in the top 70 in the country by the
U.S. News & World Report.
Monroe Community College
Monroe Community College, the largest community college in
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
, has had the top ranking community college athletic program two years in a row and was rated as the tenth best
associates degree producing two year college by
Community College Week. MCC has four campuses: the Downtown Campus, the main Brighton Campus which houses the Mercer Gallery, the Applied Technologies Center, and the Public Safety Training Facility.
MCC College Directory
/ref>
Roberts Wesleyan College
Roberts Wesleyan was ranked the third-best value private college in the U.S. by the Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...
in 2007—the only school in New York State ranked in the top 10. It is also Rochester's only college affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is an international organization of evangelical Christian colleges and universities. The headquarters is in Washington, D.C., United States.
History
In 1976, presidents of colleges in Chri ...
.
See also
* New York census statistical areas
* Sports in Rochester
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rochester, New York Metropolitan Area
Livingston County, New York
Monroe County, New York
Ontario County, New York
Orleans County, New York
Wayne County, New York
Yates County, New York