Buffalo and Rochester receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Buffalo
Rochester
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 9%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Growth
37 · Bottom 27%
vs34 · Bottom 23%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs96 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs78 · Bottom 46%
Schools
25 · Bottom 16%
vs21 · Bottom 13%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 10%
vs36 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Buffalo | Rochester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 276,854 | 208,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,041 | $47,213 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,843 | $31,314 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,856/sq mi | 5,838/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $164,200 | $139,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,046 | $1,081 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.0% | 38.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.2% | 30.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 26.0% | 27.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 205 | 215 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.9% | -37.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 35.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 20.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 33.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 84 | 71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.73 | 11.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 17.1% | 14.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 30.4% | 28.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 83.3% | 71.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Buffalo
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Rochester
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Buffalo, NY · Rochester, NY · How this is calculated: methodology