Cleveland vs Rochester
The short version
- Cleveland is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Rochester area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $102,000 in Cleveland and $139,600 in Rochester.
- Households earn more in Rochester ($47,213 vs $40,801 median).
- Rochester gets far more snow: 102 inches a year vs 64.
- Commutes are shorter in Rochester (19 vs 23 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 363,608 | 206,108 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.4% | -2.4% |
| People per square mile | 4,678 | 5,763 |
| Median age | 36.3 | 33.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22% | 30% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $40,801 | $47,213 |
| Median home value | $102,000 | $139,600 |
| Home value to income | 2.5× | 3.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $945 | $1,081 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.9 | 97.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 79.4 | 87.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,400 | $72,800 |
| Homeowners | 42% | 38% |
| Top state income tax | 2.75% | 10.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.29% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.5 | 19.3 |
| Work from home | 12% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 7% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 10.8% | 7.9% |
| Poverty rate | 30.6% | 27.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 35° / 24° | 33° / 19° |
| July high / low | 81° / 68° | 83° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 33 in | 35 in |
| Snowfall per year | 64 in | 102 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 9 | 8 |
| Nights below freezing | 91 | 129 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.0 | 93.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 74% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.4% | +4.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +48.1% | +61.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Cleveland: May to October. Rochester: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Cleveland weather by month and Rochester weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $70,400 in Cleveland and $72,800 in Rochester. Moving from Cleveland to Rochester, you would need about $77,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Cleveland and Rochester
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Cleveland and Rochester.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.