Green Bay vs Rochester
The short version
- Rochester is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Green Bay area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $207,200 in Green Bay and $310,500 in Rochester.
- Households earn more in Rochester ($89,389 vs $66,206 median).
- Rochester is growing faster: +2.4% since 2020 vs -0.6%.
Side by side
| Green Bay, WI | Rochester, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 106,675 | 124,292 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.6% | +2.4% |
| People per square mile | 2,346 | 2,193 |
| Median age | 36.0 | 36.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 51% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,206 | $89,389 |
| Median home value | $207,200 | $310,500 |
| Home value to income | 3.1× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $932 | $1,399 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.1 | 90.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 74.7 | 78.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,800 | $68,100 |
| Homeowners | 58% | 65% |
| Top state income tax | 7.65% | 9.85% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.72% | 8.14% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.2 | 17.4 |
| Work from home | 11% | 15% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.7% | 3.7% |
| Poverty rate | 14.7% | 8.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 26° / 11° | 23° / 7° |
| July high / low | 81° / 60° | 80° / 61° |
| Precipitation per year | 32 in | 35 in |
| Snowfall per year | 56 in | 53 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 6 | 5 |
| Nights below freezing | 152 | 156 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.0 | 82.3 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | 69% |
| Home prices, past year | +5% | +3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +59.7% | +32.6% |
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: Green Bay: May to September. Rochester: May and July to September.
Full monthly tables: Green Bay 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 $69,800 in Green Bay and $68,100 in Rochester. Moving from Green Bay to Rochester, you would need about $73,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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