National Center for Healthy Housing

Rochester, NY

	Overall Rankings
	Metro Area (out of 45):
	Healthy Housing: n/a
	Prior Rank: 21st
	Central City (out of 44):
	Healthy Housing: n/a
	Prior Rank: 30th
	Data source: 1998 American Housing Survey

Location Summary

Positive Findings: Compared to the national average, the Rochester area had fewer homes with signs of rats, water supply stoppage, flush toilet and sewage disposal breakdowns, and room heaters without a flue. Central city homes were less likely to have water supply stoppage and room heaters without a flue; areas outside the central city were less likely to have signs of rats, flush toilet breakdowns, and room heaters without a flue, compared to the national average. Rental homes were less likely than the national average to have water supply stoppages, flush toilet and sewage disposal breakdowns, room heaters without a flue, and exposed wire in the unit. Fewer owner-occupant homes had evidence of rats, flush toilet breakdowns, and room heaters without a flue than the national average.

Areas for Improvement: Compared to the national average, Rochester-area homes had more signs of mice, water leaks from outside, heating equipment breakdowns, rooms without working electrical outlets, and roofing, siding, window, and foundation problems. Areas in the central city were more likely to have holes in floors, signs of mice, water leaks from the outside, heating equipment breakdowns, rooms without working electrical outlets, lack of adequate kitchen facilities, and roofing, siding, and window problems. Areas outside the central city, compared to the national average, had more problems with open cracks or holes in walls, signs of mice, water leaks from outside, incomplete plumbing, heating equipment breakdowns, rooms without working electrical outlets, and roofing, siding, window, and foundation problems. Rental homes were more likely to have water leaks from the outside, heating equipment breakdowns, and siding and window problems. Owner-occupied dwellings were more likely to have holes in floors, cracks in walls, signs of mice, water leaks from the outside, incomplete plumbing, rooms without working electrical outlets, and roofing, siding, window, and foundation problems.

Community Information: The Rochester MSA includes Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, and Wayne Counties, New York. In 1998, the MSA included 410,000 occupied dwelling units, 20.7% of which were located in the central city of Rochester. The housing stock of the MSA ranked among the oldest and has average rental of the cities surveyed. The percentage of pre-1940 homes ranked 5th (32.9%) for the MSA and 6th (62.2%) for the central city. The median house age in the Rochester MSA was 1959. The percentage of rental units ranked 11th (22.9%) for the MSA and 8th (58.2%) for the central city. Poverty rates were not reported in the 1998 Metro survey.