Introduction
Located on the Genesee River and Lake Ontario in western New York state, Rochester was named for Colonel Nathanial Rochester, an early settler of the area. With little more than 219,000 people, the city of Rochester is the third largest city in the state of New York. It covers approximately 35 square miles in Monroe county, one of five counties making up the greater Rochester region. It provides the gateway to the Finger Lakes Region, part of the nation’s longest scenic byway – the Seaway Trail – and is only a day’s drive from New York City.
Once known as the high-tech city before the rise of Silicon Valley, Rochester is home to innovating companies like Xerox and Kodak. This and its impressive history in photography, xerography and optics helped to earn the city the title of “The World’s Image Center ®” during the 1990s. The city has also been known as the “Young Lion of the West”, the “Flour City” and later the “Flower City.” Rochester offers an exciting, inventive, metropolitan community with many links to its rich past.
Fast Facts
Rochester is a four-season city averaging 76 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 32 degrees in the winter months. It has been the birthplace of many firsts including the fountain pen, the first gold tooth, the first commercially produced marshmallows and the first prepared mustard was manufactured by the R.T. French Company in 1904. Photography became available to the masses thanks to George Eastman and his flexible-film camera.
The per capita personal income is $32,215 with an average annual growth rate of 3.5%. Demographics show a richly diverse city with a good blend of ethnicity, age and gender. Of the current residents, 50% are in the 25-65 age range. Only 10% of the population is older than 65.