The typical owner-occupied home in Rochester is worth about $55,000, 81% below the Texas median of $283,800 and 83% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $469 a year in property taxes, about 0.85% of their home's value, lower than the Texas rate of 1.49%. The median household earns $31,827 a year, so the median home costs 1.7 times the median income (3.6 times for Texas). 75% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 15% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Rochester at a glance
| Rochester | Texas | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $55,000 | $283,800 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $469 | $4,232 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.85% | 1.49% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $31,827 | $78,476 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 75% | 63% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 15% | 56% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $675 | $2,106 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 9.0% | 21.7% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $700 | $1,403 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 40.0% | 30.9% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1953 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 43.4% | 9.4% | 10.1% |
| Population | 228 | 30,188,424 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Rochester
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Rochester home of $55,000 with 20% down costs about $358 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $450, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $15,337 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 13% of the median Rochester household income of $31,827; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $114,000.
The median rent here is $700 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.
| Down payment | $11,000 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $44,000 |
| Principal and interest | $296 |
| Property taxes (0.85% a year) | $39 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $23 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $358 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $1,925 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $54,004 |
| Principal and interest | $363 |
| Property taxes (0.85% a year) | $39 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $23 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $24 |
| Total per month | $450 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Rochester
What is the median home value in Rochester?
About $55,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Rochester?
Homeowners pay a median $469 a year, which is about 0.85% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Rochester?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $358 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $15,337 a year.
More about Rochester
- Mortgage Refinance in Rochester
- Debt Relief in Rochester
- Home Equity Loans in Rochester
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data