Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Rochester, New York
A $121,000 home here costs
$1,344per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $622. The real number is $722 higher every month — 116% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Rochester against Monroe County and New York
| Measure | Rochester | Monroe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $120,600 | $197,100 |
| Median property tax | $3,074 | $5,495 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.549% | 2.788% |
| Median gross rent | $1,039 | $1,126 |
| Population | 209,720 | 754,068 |
The weather behind that power bill
Rochester sits in Monroe County, which averages a high of 82.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.0°F in its coldest, with 35.09" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 677 cooling and 6,273 heating degree days, which is what sets the $269 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Monroe County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Monroe County
Full Monroe County cost breakdown · Every county in New York
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Rochester?
A $121,000 home in Rochester, New York costs approximately $1,344 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $622 principal and interest, $257 property tax, $27 homeowners insurance, $337 utilities and $101 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Rochester?
Rochester has an effective property tax rate of 2.549%, based on a median home value of $120,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,074. That is lower than the Monroe County average of 2.788%.
What is the average home price in Rochester?
The median owner-occupied home value in Rochester, New York is $120,600, against $197,100 across Monroe County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rochester?
Median gross rent in Rochester is $1,039 a month, against $1,344 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Rochester — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for New York.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.