Is Rochester MN a nice place to live?

editorial

Rochester is a city in Minnesota with a population of 117,134. Rochester is in Olmsted County and is one of the best places to live in Minnesota. Living in Rochester offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Rochester there are a lot of parks. Many families and young professionals live in Rochester and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in Rochester are above average.

About

Real Estate

• Rent

  33%

• Own

  67%

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Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety

grade C+

Based on violent and property crime rates.

• Assault

  202.9

  national  282.7

• Murder

  0.8

  national  6.1

• Rape

  55.3

  national  40.7

• Robbery

  34.6

  national  135.5

• Burglary

  249.9

  national  500.1

• Theft

  1,553.3

  national  2,042.8

• Motor Vehicle Theft

  128

  national  284

Residents

Diversity

grade A minus

Based on ethnic and economic diversity.

• <10 years

  14%

• 10-17 years

  10%

• 18-24 years

  8%

• 25-34 years

  16%

• 35-44 years

  13%

• 45-54 years

  11%

• 55-64 years

  12%

• 65+ years

  15%

More

• Master's degree or higher

  21%

  national  13%

• Bachelor's degree

  27%

  national  20%

• Some college or associate's degree

  28%

  national  29%

• High school diploma or equivalent

  18%

  national  27%

• Less than high school diploma

  6%

  national  11%

More

Working in Rochester

Jobs

grade A

Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.

Similar Places

Places like Rochester

• grade A

  St. Paul

  • City in Minnesota

  • Rating 4.22 out of 5  402 reviews

• grade A

  Minneapolis

  • City in Minnesota

  • Rating 4.2 out of 5  673 reviews

• grade A minus

  Cedar Rapids

  • City in Iowa

  • Rating 3.77 out of 5  389 reviews

• grade A+

  Madison

  • City in Wisconsin

  • Rating 4.01 out of 5  744 reviews

Overall, I enjoy living in Rochester. It's a decent place to raise our family. I laugh when people complain about the roads or traffic. There is no traffic, and the roads are well-maintained (compared to every other place I've lived). But you'll find Minnesotans love complaining about the roads, weather, and how bad the Vikings choke in the playoffs (if they make it).

Housing is still fairly affordable compared to the rest of the country, but higher than places like Iowa, Kansas, etc. Rochester has a lot of family-friendly activities, but is geared towards family with younger kids. Teens would probably struggle to find things to do here.

I enjoy outside activities: fishing, hiking, skiing, hunting, etc. There's a fair amount of that, but you have to travel 25+ miles for anything good. Growing up in Montana, I have high standards for that sort of thing, but the trout fishing in nearby streams is satisfactory.

Overall, a nice place. I long for the mountains and scenery though!

Start Your Review of Rochester

Overall, Rochester is a safe and fairly quiet community; however, it has outgrown its resources. The roads and infrastructure are in constant disarray and unable to handle a rapidly growing community. The housing prices have skyrocketed recently and have made it difficult to attract single-family buyers. Instead, a lot of properties are turning into investment units for rent to multiple tenants. May main complaint is the overbearing taxes and salaries our city council members have demanded and received, especially during a pandemic when a large portion of our community was either overworked or furloughed.

I moved to Rochester recently and have enjoyed my time so far! There are great opportunities to explore and socialize in the summer months. This town would benefit from more organized activities during the colder weather months.