Cost of living in Rochester research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Rochester is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Minnesota, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Rochester is 104, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Rochester is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Rochester ranks as the #70 cheapest in Minnesota out of 148.
Rochester ranks as the #3,063 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Rochester is $333,685.
The median income in Rochester is $87,767.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Rochester has an overall cost of living index of 104, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Minnesota, Rochester has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Minnesota's index of 97.
The standard of living in Rochester ranks as #70 most affordable out of the 148 places we measured in Minnesota. By definition, that implies Rochester ranks as the #78 most expensive place in the North Star State.
For more reading on life in Rochester, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Rochester. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Rochester is 100.
The Groceries index in Rochester is 96.
The Health index in Rochester is 101.
The Housing index in Rochester is 117.
The Transportation index in Rochester is 97.
The Utilities index in Rochester is 106.
| Living Expense | Rochester | Minnesota | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 104 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 100 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 101 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 117 | 100 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 97 | 95 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 106 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Minnesota, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Rochester is $333,685.
The Median Rent in Rochester is $1,316.
The Median Income in Rochester is $87,767.
The Home Value To Income in Rochester is 3.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Rochester is 0.18x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Rochester. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Owatonna, MN has a cost of living index of 96, 0.9x Rochester.
Austin, MN has a cost of living index of 92, 0.9x Rochester.
Winona, MN has a cost of living index of 96, 0.9x Rochester.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owatonna, MN | 26,462 | 96 | 0.9x |
| Austin, MN | 26,167 | 92 | 0.9x |
| Winona, MN | 25,998 | 96 | 0.9x |
| Faribault, MN | 24,458 | 96 | 0.9x |
| Northfield, MN | 20,678 | 101 | 1.0x |
| Red Wing, MN | 16,660 | 97 | 0.9x |
| Kasson, MN | 6,964 | 95 | 0.9x |
| Stewartville, MN | 6,754 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Byron, MN | 6,510 | 106 | 1.0x |