Rochester, Monroe County, New York

Rochester is a city located in Monroe County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 219,773. East of Buffalo and northwest of Syracuse on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in western New York State, Rochester straddles the Genesee River[?] as it flows northward, draining into Lake Ontario. Rochester is the county seat of Monroe County, New York. It is the third largest city in New York State.

History and Culture The city is sometimes known as the Flower City (alternatively Flour City), based on its early industrial history as a site for grain mills, located along waterfalls on the Genessee in what is now the Brown's Race area of downtown Rochester. Later during the mid-19th century, the city became known as the Flower City, due to the growing commercial nursery business in the area. The city has a yearly lilac festival.

Rochester is home to a number of colleges and universities, including the Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Rochester, and Saint John Fisher College. The city is also host to a number of international businesses, including Eastman Kodak, which makes Rochester its world headquarters, as well as Xerox and Bausch and Lomb. Rochester is also home to Paychex[?], Papa John's Pizza[?], and Helluva Good Cheese[?].

South of Rochester sits New York's Southern Tier, including the scenic Letchworth State Park with it's spectacular canyon and waterfalls, and the glacially-formed Finger Lakes. Irondequoit Bay[?] bounds, roughly, the eastern edge of Rochester. The city's Victorian era Mt. Hope Cemetery includes the final resting place of several famous Americans, including Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. See List of Rochesterians

According to the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, Rochester's population was:

• 89,366 in 1880
• 133,896 in 1890
• 162,608 in 1900, of whom 40,748 were foreign-born (including 15,685 Germans; 7746 English-Canadians; 5599 Irish; 3909 English; 1777 Russians; and 1278 Italians) and 601 were African-American.

Geography Rochester is located at 43°9'56" North, 77°36'41" West (43.165496, -77.611504)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 96.1 km² (37.1 mi²). 92.8 km² (35.8 mi²) of it is land and 3.3 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.42% water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 219,773 people, 88,999 households, and 47,169 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,368.3/km² (6,132.9/mi²). There are 99,789 housing units at an average density of 1,075.3/km² (2,784.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 48.30% White, 38.55% African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.58% from other races, and 3.81% from two or more races. 12.75% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 88,999 households out of which 30.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.1% are married couples living together, 23.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% are non-families. 37.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.36 and the average family size is 3.19.

In the city the population is spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $27,123, and the median income for a family is $31,257. Males have a median income of $30,521 versus $25,139 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,588. 25.9% of the population and 23.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 37.5% are under the age of 18 and 15.4% are 65 or older.

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Rochester is also a place in Rochester, Ulster County, New York.