Photo: Patrick Ashley · CC BY 2.0Rochester spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Rochester’s city government spent $1.6 billion on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $7,525 per resident. Water and other utilities ($48.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rochester is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
Who’s in charge in Rochester
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: cityofrochester.gov ↗
About $7,525 per resident a year, or $20.62 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 60% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Rochester runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
$6,863 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
Rochester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($6,863 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 20 U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,870, and the middle half spent $4,328–$5,610. Rochester spent more than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($65.9 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rochester itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Rochester reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $6,863 · 2023: $7,250 · 2024: $7,525.
full-time in March 2025, up from 8,061 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,152 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.26% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Rochester’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Rochester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rochester →
Recent meetings
From Rochester’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
No upcoming meetings are posted yet.
Recent meetings
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · Council ChambersAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗One full-time city employee for every 24 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (209,352).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Rochester City School District
Rochester’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Rochester, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $35,718 per pupil, $19,912 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
New York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rochester’s votes are counted by county
New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rochester alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Monroe County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.9%214,757 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.0%145,940 votesOthers: 1.1% (4,084 votes).
Most votes in Monroe County: Kamala D Harris
New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
100% of Rochester lies in Monroe County. Every 2024 race in Monroe County is on the county’s page.
Monroe County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Rochester.
- 1Your cityMayorMalik D. Evansas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2New York AssemblyRochester is split between 3 districts
- 3New York SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Rochester compares with the towns next door
Rochester spent $6,863 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Chili | $498 | $5,128 |
| Greece | $530 | $5,487 |
| Irondequoit | $633 | $5,774 |
| Gates | $674 | $5,143 |
| Brighton | $803 | $7,428 |
| Rochester | $6,863 | $3,152 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Rochester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rochester’s government
How much does Rochester spend per resident?
About $7,525 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $6,863 was more than 95% of 20 U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rochester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,152 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.26% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofrochester.gov.
Who is the mayor of Rochester?
Malik D. Evans, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on cityofrochester.gov.
How did Rochester vote in 2024?
New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rochester alone. Monroe County, where 100% of Rochester lies, voted Harris 58.9%, Trump 40.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rochester?
8,622 full-time and 1,928 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $64.7M (about $776.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Rochester in the state legislature?
Rochester is split among 3 Assembly districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The New York Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rochester’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →