The 10 Best Neighborhoods In Rochester For 2022


We used science and data to determine which neighborhoods in Rochester are the best of the best.

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Do you like your neighborhood?

Is it friendly, and where everyone knows their neighbors?

No matter if you live in the sticks or in an apartment building in downtown Rochester, you have a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood is different.

Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits -- less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Rochester neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?

Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Rochester are the best. If you're in one of the places we're about to highlight, odds are you know you've got it made. So, if you're thinking of moving to New York and Rochester is on the top of your list, check out our best neighborhoods to live in.

Here are the best neighborhoods in Rochester for 2022.

So what's the best neighborhood to live in Rochester for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Park Avenue looks to be the best Rochester neighborhood to live in.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Rochester that deserve a little bragging rights or maybe you're interested in the worst neighborhoods in Rochester.

Once you're done, you can look at the bottom of the story for a complete chart of every neighborhood we looked at from best to worst.

For more New York reading, check out:

Best Neighborhoods In Rochester

The 10 Best Neighborhoods To Live In Rochester

Population: 6,881
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $159,055 (Third best)
Median Income: $57,052 (Third best)
More on Park Avenue: Homes For Sale | Data

Park Avenue Rochester, NY

Population: 4,022
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $79,700 (16th best)
Median Income: $52,330 (Fourth best)
More on Homestead Heights: Homes For Sale | Data

Population: 1,495
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $178,800 (best)
Median Income: $83,062 (best)
More on Cobbs Hill: Homes For Sale | Data

Cobbs Hill Rochester, NY

Population: 3,392
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $123,550 (Sixth best)
Median Income: $59,790 (Second best)
More on Browncroft: Homes For Sale | Data

Browncroft Rochester, NY

Population: 2,460
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $165,533 (Second best)
Median Income: $37,973 (11th best)
More on Corn Hill: Homes For Sale | Data

Population: 3,991
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $117,657 (Eighth best)
Median Income: $49,988 (Sixth best)
More on Ellwanger-Barry: Homes For Sale | Data

Population: 7,664
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $99,225 (11th best)
Median Income: $51,785 (Fifth best)
More on Culver-Winton: Homes For Sale | Data

Population: 6,623
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $134,240 (Fifth best)
Median Income: $46,852 (Eighth best)
More on East Avenue: Homes For Sale | Data

East Avenue Rochester, NY

Population: 1,889
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $99,420 (Tenth best)
Median Income: $45,023 (Ninth best)
More on Swillburg: Homes For Sale | Data

Swillburg Rochester, NY

Population: 20,696
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $69,691 (20th best)
Median Income: $36,499 (14th best)
More on 19th Ward: Homes For Sale | Data

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Rochester, NY Neighborhoods In 2022

In order to rank the best neighborhoods in Rochester, we had to determine what criteria defines a "best".

Using crime, census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:

  • High incomes
  • Low unemployment rates
  • Low crime
  • High home prices
  • High population densities (A proxy for things to do)

We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 31 in each category, where 1 was the best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.

And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index the "Best City Neighborhood In Rochester." We're lookin' at you, Park Avenue.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best places Rochester, New York has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city from best to worst.

Summary: Putting A Bow On Our Analysis Of The Best Neighborhoods In Rochester

If you're measuring the neighborhoods in Rochester where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Rochester aren't all good. Best takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Rochester.

We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below.

For more New York reading, check out:

Best Neighborhoods To Live In Rochester For 2022 Detailed Data

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Park Avenue 6,881 $159,055 $57,052
2 Homestead Heights 4,022 $79,700 $52,330
3 Cobbs Hill 1,495 $178,800 $83,062
4 Browncroft 3,392 $123,550 $59,790
5 Corn Hill 2,460 $165,533 $37,973
6 Ellwanger-Barry 3,991 $117,657 $49,988
7 Culver-Winton 7,664 $99,225 $51,785
8 East Avenue 6,623 $134,240 $46,852
9 Swillburg 1,889 $99,420 $45,023
10 19th Ward 20,696 $69,691 $36,499
11 Pearl-Meigs-Monroe 3,036 $91,433 $35,997
12 Charlotte 6,806 $90,714 $36,917
13 South Wedge 3,406 $117,900 $36,400
14 Atlantic-University 1,762 $102,100 $39,538
15 Northland-Lyceum 4,774 $72,580 $34,388
16 Highland 5,792 $85,320 $37,308
17 Central Business District 4,457 $56,250 $35,651
18 Maplewood 17,663 $70,009 $34,491
19 Beechwood 8,913 $65,964 $30,428
20 Strong 4,446 $72,875 $48,747
21 North Marketview Heights 4,924 $39,200 $22,091
22 Genesee-Jefferson 4,523 $43,871 $22,632
23 Susan B Anthony 755 $147,750 $19,618
24 Plymouth-Exchange 3,471 $41,380 $19,068
25 Lyell-Otis 9,016 $39,692 $27,936
26 South Marketview Heights 3,378 $46,800 $20,220
27 Mayor's Heights 2,522 $96,980 $18,939
28 Dutchtown 3,302 $39,343 $21,620
29 Upper Falls 6,838 $27,756 $16,813
30 Charles House 2,575 $55,550 $20,658
31 Best 514 $62,567 $18,122

Editor's Note: We updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Rochester.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.