Living in Rochester, NH
Small city in New Hampshire
Rochester is a small city in New Hampshire, home to about 33,000 people, with 319,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Rochester a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 80°F
- Low natural disaster risk: 9 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Strong healthcare: 4 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Easy flying: PWM is 41 mi away
👎 Cons
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Few dog parks: 1 within 9 mi
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Rochester ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Rochester: common questions
What is the cost of living in Rochester?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $440k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,690 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 106, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Rochester?
New Hampshire collects about $66 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Rochester safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.8× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Rochester?
Public schools in Rochester test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 13 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Rochester?
Rochester has cold winters: winter days average around 35°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 39″ of snow a year.
Does Rochester get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.21 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Rochester?
The nearest major airport is PWM, about 41 mi away.
How Rochester scores
Each bar compares Rochester with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Rochester
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in New Hampshire.
Is Rochester right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.