Rochester, NY Demographics

A map of Rochester's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	75,975	69,792	36.4%	33.0%
Black	72,342	80,459	34.7%	38.1%
Hispanic	40,997	41,869	19.6%	19.8%
Multiracial	11,117	9,249	5.3%	4.4%
Asian	6,675	8,403	3.2%	4.0%
Native American/Other	1,666	1,556	0.8%	0.7%

Rochester, New York has an estimated population of 208,772, a slight decrease from the 211,328 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 36.4% White, 34.7% Black, 19.6% Hispanic, 5.3% Multiracial, 3.2% Asian, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Rochester, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Rochester is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than New York overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Rochester, that probability was 70.3% in 2020 and 70.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Rochester is ranked the 4th most populous place in New York, out of 1,291 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Rochester was ranked the 4th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Rochester's White Population

75,975 residents of Rochester, or 36.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Rochester is significantly lower than in New York overall, where 52.8% of the population is White. Rochester ranks 1252nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,291 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Rochester's White population has grown by an estimated 8.9%. White residents' share of Rochester's population has increased from 33.0% to 36.4%.

Rochester is less White than neighboring Brighton (74% White), Irondequoit (74.1% White), Gates (67.1% White), North Gates (65.3% White), and Greece (74% White).

Rochester's Black Population

72,342 residents of Rochester, or 34.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Rochester is significantly higher than in New York overall, where 13.4% of the population is Black. Rochester ranks 13th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,291 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Rochester's Black population has declined by an estimated 10.1%. Black residents' share of Rochester's population has decreased from 38.1% to 34.7%.

Rochester is more Black than neighboring Brighton (5.8% Black), Irondequoit (7.4% Black), Gates (3.9% Black), North Gates (14.7% Black), and Greece (7.5% Black).

Rochester's Asian Population

6,675 residents of Rochester, or 3.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Rochester is lower than in New York overall, where 9% of the population is Asian. Rochester ranks 298th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,291 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Rochester's Asian population has declined by an estimated 20.6%. Asian residents' share of Rochester's population has decreased from 4.0% to 3.2%.

Rochester is more Asian than neighboring Irondequoit (2.4% Asian), Gates (2.2% Asian), and Greece (2.7% Asian). Rochester is less Asian than neighboring Brighton (10% Asian), and North Gates (4.3% Asian).

Rochester's Hispanic Population

40,997 residents of Rochester, or 19.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Rochester is comparable to the share in New York overall, where 19.8% of the population is Hispanic. Rochester ranks 131st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,291 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Rochester's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 2.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Rochester's population has remained roughly unchanged at 19.6%.

Rochester is more Hispanic than neighboring Brighton (5.1% Hispanic), Irondequoit (11.2% Hispanic), North Gates (11.4% Hispanic), and Greece (12.2% Hispanic). Rochester is less Hispanic than neighboring Gates (24.2% Hispanic).

Rochester's Native American/Other Population

1,666 residents of Rochester, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Rochester is comparable to the share in New York overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Rochester ranks 489th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,291 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Rochester's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 7.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Rochester's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Rochester is more Native American/Other than neighboring Brighton (0.6% Native American/Other), Irondequoit (0.2% Native American/Other), Gates (0% Native American/Other), North Gates (0.3% Native American/Other), and Greece (0.1% Native American/Other).

Rochester's Multiracial Population

11,117 residents of Rochester, or 5.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Rochester is comparable to the share in New York overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Rochester ranks 363rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,291 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Rochester's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 20.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Rochester's population has increased from 4.4% to 5.3%.

Rochester is more Multiracial than neighboring Brighton (4.3% Multiracial), Irondequoit (4.7% Multiracial), Gates (2.6% Multiracial), North Gates (3.9% Multiracial), and Greece (3.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.