Rochester multifamily market, October 2026

Landlords have the edge in Rochester, and it is cooling: asking rents are up 1.8% on a year, while jobs slipped 0.5%.

Updated October 31, 2026 · from Zillow, BLS and the US Census Bureau

+1.8%

Asking rent, year over year

Zillow · September 2026

-0.5%

Jobs, year over year

BLS · September 2026, preliminary

3.7%YEARLY

Vacancy

Census · 2024 count

What is moving now

Asking rents are up 1.8% on a year to September 2026, which is the figure the condition is read from. Jobs are down 0.5% over the same year to September 2026, a first release the BLS revises the following month. Job growth has cooled (September 2026).

The backdrop

These are yearly Census counts, not this month's: 3.7% of rentals sat empty in 2024, permits for new apartments were down 44% in 2025, more people moved out than in in 2025, and the typical rent was $1,172 a month in 2024. They are the background the monthly figures move against, and they are the newest the Census has published.

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Common questions about Rochester

Answered from the data, updated October 31, 2026

Is the Rochester rental market tight or soft right now?

In Rochester right now, landlords have the edge, and it is cooling.

Which way is the Rochester market heading?

Rochester is cooling right now, as asking rents firm over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).

Is Rochester a landlord's or a renter's market?

Rochester is a landlord's market right now: landlords have the edge, and it is cooling.

What is the vacancy rate in Rochester?

Vacancy in Rochester is 3.7% in the 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a monthly reading (US Census Bureau).

How much have Rochester rents changed?

Asking rents in Rochester are up 1.8% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Sep 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

Elderly and disabled residents report damage and sickness after sewage backup at Pinnacle Place ApartmentsWHEC.com

Western New York Affordable Housing Redevelopment Project Opens with 70-UnitsYield PRO

$5 million awarded for senior housing, mixed-use development at Greece Ridge mallRochesterFirst

Rochester 2027-28 budget: City asks residents to share priorities on housing, arts, and other needsWHEC.com

Rochester residents say burst pipe caused flood and water shortage at Pinnacle ApartmentsWHEC.com

Rochester World Homeless Day event connects people to housing resources at Central LibraryWHEC.com

See all Rochester news →

Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.
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