The featured picture shows the Genesee River flowing through Rochester, New York in 1859, one of the boom times for the Western New York city.

Over the years Rochester experienced numerous explosions in population growth and was once the flour-producing capital of the U.S. In 2007, Places Rated Almanac called Rochester the country's "most livable city." In 2010 Forbes had it pegged as the third-best place to raise a family in the U.S. And in 2012, Kiplinger rated Rochester the fifth-best city in the U.S. for families. Now, in 2020, Rochester has scored again.

Business Insider named Rochester one of the 30 top cities to live in after the COVID-19 pandemic, which has people scrambling to find lifestyles in less congested areas. We've already seen speculation about rising real estate values in the Hudson Valley and other upstate regions, as folks seek to escape from New York City.

Rochester has Central New York company on the list. Here's where New York's cities ranked and why:

Rochester (#7) has a large percentage of jobs that could be done from home. And last year it was predicted to be one of the top 10 hottest real estate markets for 2020.

Ithaca (#19) has the sixth-largest share of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Syracuse (#21) had a low pre-coronavirus unemployment rate of 3.4% in February.

Here are the metrics Business Insider used to arrive at its list:

  • Pre-coronavirus unemployment rate
  • Ability to work from home
  • Population density
  • Housing affordability
  • Monthly household costs
  • Cost of living
  • Commuting times
  • Total school spending per student
  • Share of young people with at least a bachelor’s degree

Experts believe these factors might make it easier to recover faster from the detrimental economic effects of a pandemic. Springfield, Illinois was #1 on the list. Business Insider has the entire list of 30 cities here.


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