Austin, TX vs Rochester, NY

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Rochester

71.9

#953 nationally

Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $42,124). Austin leads in school rating (7.2 vs 4.2). Rochester leads in cost of living index (88 vs 129).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Rochester, NY
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	71.9 (#953)
Population	967,862	211,328
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$249,152
Median Household Income	$91,461	$42,124
Average Commute	26.8 min	21.2 min
Walk Score	42	59
Crime Level	Moderate	High
School Rating	7.2	4.2
Cost of Living Index	129	88
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	D+19.1