City in Minnesota, United States

Rochester

$329kMedian Home
291Sunny Days/yr
56°FAvg High Temp
Loading Weather
View on MapPopulation112kElevation1,024 ft
Quick Read

Long cold season, with rain spread fairly evenly through the year. Winter is not just a brief interruption. Noticeable daylight swing. Snow is a real part of winter.

Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. The population was 121,395 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 123,624 in 2024, making it the third-most populous city in Minnesota. The Rochester metropolitan area has an estimated 230,000 residents. The city is the home and birthplace of Mayo Clinic.Wikipedia

Long winterEven rainfallNoticeable daylight swingMed City, RochAmerica's City of Care and Innovation
01

Where It Is

Location Context
Rochester, Minnesota
Latitude44.02°
Longitude-92.47°
Population112k
Altitude1,024 ft

State Context

MinnesotaU.S. state

Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and North Dakota and South Dakota to the west. The northeast corner has a water boundary with Michigan.Wikipedia

Income tax: 5.35% - 9.85%Avg sales tax: 8.04%Property tax: 0.98%Official school data available

About the Region

Great Lakes Midwest

The Great Lakes Midwest is undergoing a quiet, steady reassessment. Cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo — long associated with industrial decline — have seen genuine neighborhood revivals driven by very low housing costs and incoming professional and creative workers. Chicago remains the undisputed anchor: a world-class city that, particularly in its residential neighborhoods, is underpriced relative to coastal equivalents. Minneapolis consistently ranks among the best-governed large cities in the country, with a walkable downtown and access to 10,000 lakes.

Winters are genuinely cold — lake-effect snow shapes life along the Great Lakes shores, and Minneapolis regularly logs the coldest temperatures of any major American city — but summers compensate with warmth and greenness that surprises transplants from the coasts. The economic base has diversified significantly: advanced manufacturing, major healthcare systems, agriculture tech, and financial services anchor the broader region, while university towns like Ann Arbor, Madison, and Bloomington punch well above their weight culturally.

02

Nature Access

Nature & Park Feeds

Closest protected landscapes, reserves, and big park systems surfaced from the same nearby feeds used in compare.

Distances in miles
Federal park feed

National Parks

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OpenStreetMap feed

Local Nature & Reserves

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Sources: National Park Service and OpenStreetMap
03

City Profile

Urban Feel2,127/mi²residents
Median Age36 yrs
College Educated49%bachelor's or higher
Work From Home11%of workforce
Poverty Rate9%
04

Cost of Living

Housing
$2k/mo
Median rent
$329k
Median home price
Rent burden24% of income
Household Income
$84k
Median annual
05

Livability

Getting AroundMostly car-oriented
Best available read from walkability, transit, and density signals

Mostly car-oriented day to day.

Safety Score
76
Walk Score
22
School Rating
5.6/10
Internet
Fiber
85%
Cable
93%
address availability
06

Climate

Sunshine
291
sunny days per year
80% of the year
Avg High Temp
56°F
annual average
Humidity Pattern
Mixed humidity
69% warm season / 76% cool season
Comfort Score
35/100
Challenging
Temp Swing
55°F
seasonal high-temp spread
Rainfall
35"
inches per year
Snowfall
13"
inches per year
Air Quality
38
Good AQI
How To Read Comfort

Comfort combines temperature band fit, humidity fit, seasonal swing, and penalties for long stretches of extreme heat or cold. Higher scores mean the yearly pattern stays closer to an easier day-to-day climate band.

Monthly Temperature
Daylight Span (Sunrise to Sunset)
Precipitation Distribution
35" of rain per year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Humidity Through The Year
Hover any month for the exact RH value. This is measuring monthly relative humidity, not dew point or current weather.
fairly steady humidity
Summer 69% · Winter 76% · Jun-Jan 64-80%
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Hover a month for exact RH and seasonal context.
07

Natural Hazard Risk

Flood Risk
minimal
FEMA classification
Wildfire Risk
minimal
FEMA rating
Poor Air Days
0 days
per year with AQI > 100
08

Current Conditions

10

Local Next Steps

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11

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