Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
51% more nonprofits per person than the typical Indiana town.
Rochester gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $223K, 3.6 years of the county’s $61K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 352nd of 585 in Indiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $57K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 86% of the country. On the plus side, it has 9 miles of trail. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 29% of working residents work locally in Rochester, above both Indiana’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (8%). On walkability, just 34 of Indiana’s 1,097 towns do better. Rochester's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Where Rochester beats most towns.
John W. Smith House
Census counts: 283 in 1850, 6,270 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1994 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Rochester is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rochester, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Rochester.
Rochester trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is one of Indiana’s best towns for the outdoors.
Its A for the outdoors ranks #6 of 593 in Indiana.
The trail density in Rochester is 1.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is City Park, at 37 acres. 9.4 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves.
| Rochester | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.7 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.9% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hospital Trails Park | 1.3 mi | 30 |
| 2. City Park | 0.3 mi | 37 |
| 3. Blacketor Park | 0.3 mi | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Rochester. Rochester beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Rochester.
| Rochester | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Rochester | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.7% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.6% | 6.8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.3% | 3.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 19 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rochester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Rochester has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Rochester’s working residents works in town. Rochester’s average trip to work is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Warsaw (5%), Rochester Township (4%) and Plymouth (4%).
| Rochester | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes are within reach (about $223K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 21 miles.
Typical home values rose 7.6% in the year to September 2026. 66% of Rochester households own their home.
| Rochester | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $867 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Rochester; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Rochester residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
5.9% of the town is conserved land, across 8 parks and preserves.
4 places in Rochester on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Rochester.
City in Fulton County, Indiana
Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,270 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rochester grades B− overall, better than 52% of U.S. towns and #352 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
7 notable people were born here, including Nicole Anderson and Elmo Lincoln.
