Photo: Patrick Ashley · CC BY 2.0Living in Rochester, NY: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2025 is still open for the Rochester City water system, and its latest lead result (5.8 ppb) was higher than 92% of similar systems’, though under the 15 ppb action level. Rochester has its own drop-off, Monroe County Recycling Center.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Rochester, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Rochester.
Power comes from Rochester Gas & Electric
Rochester Gas & Electric (Rochester Gas & Electric Corp), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Rochester. Its homes paid an average of 22.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $154 a month (its average across New York, for customers on its standard service). New York lets you buy power from another supplier; 14% of Rochester Gas & Electric’s home customers do, and Rochester Gas & Electric still delivers it.
Start or move service: rge.com · (585) 342-0802
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Rochester City water system
The Rochester City water system supplies almost all of Rochester. It draws surface water (EPA lists the Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA) as seller) and serves 210,000 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), beginning Jan 2025. 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people had none. 1 older violation is still open, since 2025: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Jun 2026, was 5.8 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 9.5 ppb. That’s higher than 92% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. NY2704518.
5 home internet providers serve Rochester
97% of 58,917 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 49% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 97% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Frontier | Fiber, DSL | 43% | 7,000/7,000 |
| Greenlight Networks | Fiber | 32% | 8,000/8,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 87% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 63% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Rochester depends on your street
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Rochester, from the town’s own site.
Your pickup week
- TrashEvery week, on your street’s dayFind your street’s day on cityofrochester.gov →
Monroe County Recycling Center
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
From cityofrochester.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Rochester is in Rochester City School District.
D−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Rochester spans 15 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Rochester residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Rochester | ZIP’s residents in Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14621 | Rochester, NY | 14% | 92% |
| 14609 | Rochester, NY | 13% | 66% |
| 14620 | Rochester, NY | 9% | 82% |
| 14611 | Rochester, NY | 9% | 100% |
| 14607 | Rochester, NY | 8% | 100% |
| 14613 | Rochester, NY | 7% | 100% |
| 14619 | Rochester, NY | 7% | 100% |
| 14608 | Rochester, NY | 6% | 100% |
| 14605 | Rochester, NY | 6% | 100% |
| 14606 | Rochester, NY | 5% | 41% |
| 14615 | Rochester, NY | 4% | 53% |
| 14612 | Rochester, NY | 4% | 23% |
| 14610 | Rochester, NY | 4% | 56% |
| 14604 | Rochester, NY | 1% | 100% |
| 14627 | Rochester, NY | 1% | 100% |
A few homes fall in 14614, 14616, 14618, 14622, 14617, 14626, 14623, 14642. 14602, 14603, 14638, 14639, 14643, 14644, 14646, 14647, 14649, 14650, 14651, 14652, 14653, 14692, 14694 are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Rochester
Who supplies Rochester’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Rochester City water system (EPA ID NY2704518). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule). 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 5.8 ppb (Jan–Jun 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Rochester?
Rochester Gas & Electric (Rochester Gas & Electric Corp), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 22.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Rochester?
Spectrum, Frontier, Greenlight Networks, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Rochester?
14621 (14%), 14609 (13%), 14620 (9%), 14611 (9%), 14607 (8%), 14613 (7%), 14619 (7%), 14608 (6%), 14605 (6%), 14606 (5%), 14615 (4%), 14612 (4%), 14610 (4%), 14604 (1%), 14627 (1%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Rochester in?
Rochester City School District.
How do I register to vote in Rochester?
In New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Monroe County Board of Elections. Check your registration at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Rochester’s own website (cityofrochester.gov), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.