Cost of living in Rochester research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Rochester is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Minnesota, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Rochester is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Rochester is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Rochester ranks as the #25 cheapest in Minnesota out of 147.
Rochester ranks as the #2,449 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Rochester is $236,400.
The median income in Rochester is $79,159.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Rochester has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Minnesota, Rochester has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Minnesota's index of 95.
The standard of living in Rochester ranks as #25 most affordable out of the 147 places we measured in Minnesota. By definition, that implies Rochester ranks as the #122 most expensive place in the North Star State.
For more reading on life in Rochester, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Rochester. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Rochester is 98.
The Groceries index in Rochester is 88.
The Health index in Rochester is 98.
The Housing index in Rochester is 88.
The Transportation index in Rochester is 89.
The Utilities index in Rochester is 110.
Living Expense | Rochester | Minnesota | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 95 | 95 | 100 | |
Services | 98 | 101 | 100 | |
Groceries | 88 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 98 | 111 | 100 | |
Housing | 88 | 83 | 100 | |
Transportation | 89 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 110 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Minnesota, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Rochester is $236,400.
The Median Rent in Rochester is $1,120.
The Median Income in Rochester is $79,159.
The Home Value To Income in Rochester is 3.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Rochester is 0.17x.
Statistic | Rochester | Minnesota | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $236,400 | $250,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,120 | $1,081 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $79,159 | $77,706 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.0x | 3.2x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Rochester. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Owatonna, MN has a cost of living index of 92, 1.0x Rochester.
Winona, MN has a cost of living index of 94, 1.0x Rochester.
Austin, MN has a cost of living index of 84, 0.9x Rochester.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Rochester |
---|---|---|---|
Owatonna, MN | 26,366 | 92 | 1.0x |
Winona, MN | 26,199 | 94 | 1.0x |
Austin, MN | 26,030 | 84 | 0.9x |
Faribault, MN | 24,310 | 92 | 1.0x |
Northfield, MN | 20,374 | 105 | 1.1x |
Red Wing, MN | 16,596 | 101 | 1.1x |
Kasson, MN | 6,772 | 90 | 0.9x |
Stewartville, MN | 6,620 | 94 | 1.0x |
Byron, MN | 6,220 | 103 | 1.1x |