About Us : Monroe County

Monroe County, New York Fast Facts

For more demographic information about Monroe County, please visit the Greater Rochester Enterprise.

Location

Monroe County and the City of Rochester are located on the south shore of Lake Ontario, in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York. The area (663.21 square miles) is accessible through the Greater Rochester International Airport, Amtrak and Conrail, the New York State Thruway, and the New York State Erie Canal.

General

• MSA population - 1,098,201 (2000)
• Monroe County population - 735,343 (2000)
• City of Rochester population - 219,773 (2000)
• Median household income - $56,900 (Rochester, NY MSA - 2003)
• Unemployment rate – 5.8% (Monroe County – 2003)
• Civilian labor force - 386,400 (May 2003)
• Number of business establishments - 16,828 (2001)

Healthcare

• Number of hospitals – 7 (Monroe County – 2003)
• Monthly individual average cost for a HMO – $161.68 (Monroe County 2003)
• Monthly family average cost for a HMO - $432.95 (Monroe County – 2003)

Education

• Population enrolled in grades 1-12 – 63.1% (Monroe County, age 3 and over – 2000)
• Percentage of high school graduates or higher – 84.9% (Monroe County, 25 years and over – 2000)
• Percentage with Bachelor’s degree or higher – 31.2% (Monroe County, 25 years and over – 2000)
• Population enrolled in college or graduate school – 26.3% (Monroe County, age 3 and over – 2000)
• Number of two and four/year colleges/universities - 8

Housing

• Total housing units – 304,388 (Monroe County - 2000)
• Median value of owner-occupied units - $98,700 (Monroe County – 2000)
• Median monthly owner costs with a mortgage - $1,122 (Monroe County – 2000)
• Median monthly owner costs without a mortgage - $406 (Monroe County – 2000)
• Median monthly gross rent - $612 (Monroe County – 2000)

Transportation

• Mean travel time to work – 19.6 minutes (Monroe County, workers age 16 and over – 2000)
• Passengers using Regional Transportation System annually – 14,197,257 (2003)
• Passengers using Greater Rochester International Airport annually – 1,150,976 (2001)
• Number of air transportation providers - 16

Weather

• Average summer temperature - 71° (July)
• Average winter temperature - 32° (February)
• Average yearly snowfall – 100.3" (Greater Rochester International Airport)
• Rochester/Monroe County is a four season community

Recreation/Cultural Opportunities

• Golf is big in Monroe County with approximately 39 golf courses (29 public, 10 private) playing host to U.S. Opens, the Ryder Cup, PGA Championships and an annual LPGA tournament.
• Extensive park system equaling a total of 21 recreational facilities covering nearly 12,000 acres of land.
• Fresh water activities such as boating, fishing and swimming are available on Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, Genesee River, and the Erie Canal.
• Professional sports teams include the Rochester Red Wings (baseball), Raging Rhinos (soccer), Rochester Americans (hockey), Rochester Brigade (arena football), Rochester Rattlers (outdoor lacrosse), Rochester Knighthawks (indoor lacrosse) and St. John Fisher College is home to the Buffalo Bills Training Camp.
• Cultural highlights include the Susan B. Anthony House, George Eastman House and International Museum of Photography and Film, Strong Museum, Rochester Museum & Science Center/ Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Garth Fagan Dance Company, GeVa Theatre, Hochstein Music School and the Memorial Art Gallery.
• Nearby attractions: Finger Lakes Region (30 minutes to 1 hour away), Niagara Falls (1 hour), Watkins Glenn International Racetrack (1 hour), Finger Lakes Race Track (horse racing-30 minutes), Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres (1 hour), Syracuse Orangemen (1 hour).
• More than 140 different types of festivals and art shows such as the Lilac Festival in May, the Rochester International Jazz Festival in June, Corn Hill Arts Festival in July, the Park Avenue Festival in August, and the Clothesline Art Festival in September, and the High Falls Film Festival in the fall.