Rochester, NY Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Rochester, NY metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Rochester, NY Market Analysis
Market Overview
Rochester’s housing market is strong, with a PropertyIQ Score of 98 out of 100. The score is supported by four drivers: 12-month home value momentum of 10.28%, 3-month home value momentum of 0.12%, median days on market of 32 days, and a price-cut share of 6.0%. Rochester’s median home value is $286,834, well below the state average of $526,714. Its rent index of $1,536 is nearly level with the state benchmark of $1,576. The unemployment rate is 3.8%, below the state average of 4.4%, while median household income is $74,438, below the state average of $84,578.
The gap between Rochester’s home values and the state average, combined with rents near the state norm, points to relative affordability. The double-digit 12-month momentum shows strong annual price growth, but the 0.12% 3-month momentum indicates that near-term appreciation has flattened. Population growth data is not available.
Key Trends
The first trend is strong annual price growth with recent cooling. The 12-month home value momentum is 10.28%, a rapid annual pace. The 3-month momentum is only 0.12%, meaning price gains have slowed sharply in the most recent quarter.
A second trend is a fast-moving, low-discount market. The median days on market is 32 days, and just 6.0% of listings have a price cut. With 1,140 homes for sale, inventory is being absorbed quickly relative to the sales pace.
A third trend is affordability compared with the state. Rochester’s median home value of $286,834 is about 54% of the state average of $526,714. The rent index of $1,536 is $40 below the state average of $1,576. Even with median household income of $74,438 below the state average of $84,578, the lower home prices create a more favorable local price-to-income relationship.
A fourth trend is rental strength near state levels. The rent index of $1,536 is close to the state average despite home values being roughly $240,000 lower, which may support investor interest.
Who Is This Market For
First-time buyers are a strong fit. The median home value of $286,834 is well below the state average of $526,714, and the median household income of $74,438 makes local prices more approachable relative to income. Buyers should expect competition, given the 32-day median days on market and only 6.0% of listings with price cuts.
Move-up buyers may benefit from 12-month home value growth of 10.28%, which suggests existing homeowners have likely gained equity. The 3-month momentum of 0.12% points to a less frenzied near-term pace, which may make move-up decisions more measured.
Investors are another likely audience. The median home value of $286,834 is far below the state average, while the rent index of $1,536 is nearly equal to the state benchmark of $1,576. That rent-to-price spread, alongside a 3.8% unemployment rate, supports a case for rental demand.
Outlook
Rochester’s available data points to a strong market with moderating price momentum. The 12-month home value growth of 10.28% shows substantial annual appreciation, but the 3-month figure of 0.12% indicates near-term price growth has slowed. Median days on market of 32 days and a 6.0% price-cut share suggest demand remains steady and sellers still have leverage. The unemployment rate of 3.8% is below the state average, supporting local housing demand, while the median home value of $286,834 remains far below the state average, preserving relative affordability. Population growth data is missing, so the long-term demand picture cannot be fully assessed. Based on the current numbers, Rochester is likely to stay competitive, but price appreciation may be slower than the double-digit pace of the past year.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated September 26, 2026.
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Rochester, NY market data
Rochester, NY Housing Market Overview
Rochester, NY's median home value is $287K, up 10.3% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 32 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 98 sits well above the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to outperform its state over the next three years.
The Rochester, NY metropolitan area represents a distinct segment of NY's housing landscape. The PropertyIQ Score combines price momentum — how Zillow home values have trended over the past 3 and 12 months — with market-flow signals from Realtor.com that track how fast homes sell and how often sellers cut prices. The result is a single measure of how this market is positioned to outperform or lag its state over the next three years.
The Mid-Atlantic corridor benefits from proximity to major financial centers and government institutions. Housing markets in this region balance urban density with suburban expansion, creating varied opportunities from walkable city neighborhoods to rapidly growing exurbs. Within the Mid-Atlantic, Rochester, NY's PropertyIQ Score of 98 ranks among the Mid-Atlantic's stronger demand signals.
New York's housing landscape spans from the nation's most expensive urban neighborhoods to affordable upstate markets with university-driven stability. The post-pandemic remote work shift has redistributed demand across the state.
For the Rochester, NY market, PropertyIQ calculates a single score each month from four inputs: twelve-month Zillow home-value momentum, three-month Zillow home-value momentum, median days on market from Realtor.com, and the Realtor.com price-reduced share. The score is computed nationally across all metros and calibrated so 50 equals the state average. Across the validation history, metro markets in the top score band have outperformed their state by roughly 1.7 percentage points more per year than bottom-band markets. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 10.3% over the past year.
Explore the interactive map to see how Rochester, NY compares to neighboring metros, or view the full market dashboard for detailed analytics including time-series trends, score breakdowns, and AI-generated market reports.
Counties in the Rochester, NY metro area
ZIP codes in the Rochester, NY metro area
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Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rochester, NY a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Rochester, NY currently scores 98, a very strong-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to outperform its state over the next three years. For buyers, strengthening demand usually means rising competition and firmer prices, so waiting can cost you negotiating room. Backing that up, the median home value here is $287K, up 10.3% over the past year. So whether Rochester, NY is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Rochester, NY?
Rochester, NY's PropertyIQ Score is 98, indicating very strong momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 98 places Rochester, NY above its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Rochester, NY rising or falling?
Home prices in Rochester, NY are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 10.3%, reaching $287K. Over the latest three months, values moved up 0.1%, a sign near-term demand remains firm. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Rochester, NY's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Rochester, NY?
In Rochester, NY, homes sell in a median of 32 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 6% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Rochester, NY market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.