Rochester, NY, may be painted as an affordable, charming city for newcomers, but if you’re seriously considering moving here in 2025, I’m going to give it to you straight. You might want to rethink that decision. I’ve lived here long enough to know the gritty details, and this isn’t about bashing a city for the sake of it—it’s about uncovering the reality beneath the surface. Sure, the lower cost of living might lure you in, but let’s not be naive. There are several significant red flags you must consider before packing up and moving to Rochester.
Rochester’s economy isn’t roaring to life—in fact, it's barely crawling. Once a manufacturing powerhouse with Kodak and Xerox at its helm, the city has struggled to transition into the tech-forward economy it desperately wants to be. Companies like Kodak, which once employed over 60,000 people in Rochester, are now shadows of their former selves. Kodak’s shift toward digital tech came too late, resulting in massive layoffs and bankruptcy in 2012. The city has not fully recovered since.
While there have been attempts to modernize the economy with small tech startups, Forbes recently described Rochester’s post-industrial recovery as “underwhelming,” specifically pointing out that job creation is slow [1]. The unemployment rate remains slightly above the national average, hovering around 4.5%. If you're moving to Rochester expecting a wealth of high-paying jobs in tech, finance, or other burgeoning industries, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.
While there are jobs in education and healthcare, they're not enough to compensate for the economic stagnation elsewhere. Don’t take my word for it, though. Buffalo and Syracuse, other cities in Upstate New York, are also facing slow economic growth, but Rochester’s situation is particularly grim, as noted in various news articles covering the city's industrial downfall and sluggish recovery.
Let me make this crystal clear: Rochester winters are not for the faint-hearted. It’s not just a few snowflakes and chilly days—we’re talking about 100+ inches of snow per year. Rochester's proximity to Lake Ontario ensures that we get hit hard with lake-effect snowstorms, where bitter cold winds whip across the lake and dump feet of snow on the city.
This isn’t a couple of days of inconvenient snow. Rochester winters last months. If you hate freezing temperatures, slippery roads, and the constant need to shovel your driveway, you will loathe it here. Rochester winters are brutal enough to make seasoned residents question their sanity. Even if you love a snowy Christmas, that charm will wear off fast when you’re still driving on icy roads in April.
If you don’t believe me, take a look at how Upstate New York is consistently ranked among the worst places in the U.S. for winter weather. Syracuse and Buffalo both make regular appearances on lists of the snowiest cities in the U.S., and Rochester is right there in the mix. It’s not just about snow accumulation—cold, gray skies will dominate your life for nearly half the year. And the data backs it up. Cities in this region experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) at some of the highest rates in the country, attributed largely to the long, dark winters.
Sure, you’ve heard that Rochester’s housing market is affordable, and on paper, it is. However, there’s a big financial trap awaiting homeowners: property taxes. Don’t let the lower home prices fool you into thinking Rochester is a financial haven. The property tax rate in Rochester is 2.68%, nearly double the national average. This means that while you might find a relatively inexpensive home, the yearly property taxes will quickly eat into your budget.
The high property taxes are a massive burden for homeowners, especially for first-time buyers or retirees on a fixed income. You’ll be forking over a significant portion of your income to cover these taxes, and with no real sign of them going down anytime soon, it can turn Rochester’s so-called “affordable living” into a financial headache. If you're not ready for that, it's best to rethink moving here. Many articles on Rochester’s economic struggles cite the high tax rates as a major deterrent for new residents, and it's no secret that high taxes are pushing residents to move to more tax-friendly states.
Rochester City School District (RCSD) is a known disaster zone. For families looking to settle down and raise children, this should be a massive red flag. With graduation rates as low as 54%, significantly below the national average of 85%, RCSD is one of the worst-performing school districts in the state. I don’t care how cheap the homes are—if you’re sending your kids to Rochester city schools, you’re setting them up for failure.
While some suburban school districts, like Pittsford, Brighton, and Webster, boast some of the highest rankings in the state, don’t think for a second that moving within the city limits will provide the same quality of education. Most families that move here end up pushing for homes in the surrounding suburbs to avoid sending their kids to RCSD. Several reports have highlighted the underfunding, poor management, and lack of resources as key factors in the district’s struggles, and despite promises of reform, little has changed in recent years.
If you’re someone who thrives on nightlife, culture, and constant entertainment, Rochester will likely disappoint you. Don’t expect a vibrant city scene like New York City or even Boston. While Rochester has some annual festivals, like the Rochester International Jazz Festival and the Lilac Festival, the overall entertainment scene is lacking. Most of the time, if you want to find something fun to do, you’ll have to travel to Buffalo or Syracuse.
Even the city’s restaurant and bar scene is relatively small compared to other mid-sized cities. For young professionals or people looking for more than just quiet suburban life, Rochester isn’t the place to be. We’ve seen reports where residents have expressed frustration with the lack of things to do, especially during the long winter months when many activities are limited. If you’re someone who craves activity, you’ll likely find yourself bored and frustrated here.