The greater Rochester region has the community vitality opportunities of a big city. The area is renowned for its theater, music, dance, an impressive range of museums and both large and intimate art galleries. The arts scene features many prominent institutions, as well as a flourishing array of mid- and small-sized theaters and clubs with just about every form of music. The community hosts festivals of world-wide importance, as well as ones that contribute to neighborhood vitality.
Attendance at arts and cultural attractions in 2019 increased 55% since 2004 for festivals which attracted over 1.8 million people.
Tourism revenue in our region was over $1.7 billion in 2021. This was a 50% increase from 2020, likely reflecting a recovery in tourism and travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spending on recreation by tourists was over $101 million in 2021, up 52% since 2020 due to the recovery from the pandemic.
Residents in our region are registered to vote and turn out to vote at rates similar to the state. In 2020, 83% of regional residents were registered to vote. In 2020 (a presidential election year), 64% of regional residents voted, compared to 57% of state residents and 62% nationally.
Residents in the region spent 0.8% of their income on charitable giving in 2019, lower than the state and national rates (1.8% and 1.6% respectively).
In our region, 55% of residents were registered library borrowers in 2020, lower than the state level. Genesee had the highest rate in 2020 followed by Monroe County, with Monroe seeing the largest increase since 2000. Visits to libraries in the region per capita, at 2.5, were greater than the state, with Monroe County (2.7) having the highest rate followed by Batavia and the City of Rochester (5.6 and 4.1 respectively) in 2020.
Worse than NYS by 10% or more
Up to 10% worse than NYS
Equal to or better than NYS| INDICATORS - Grouped by Topic | REGIONAL VALUE | YEAR | NYS COMPARISON | TREND | REGION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts and Culture Attendance | 2019 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
| Tourism Spending | $1,399 | 2021 |
1
|
0
Maintaining
|
| Recreation Spending | $83 | 2021 |
1
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Voter Registration Rate | 83% | 2020 |
2
|
1
Increasing
|
| Voter Participation Rate | 64% | 2020 |
3
|
1
Increasing
|
| Registered Library Borrowers | 55% | 2020 |
3
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Library Visits | 2.5 | 2020 |
3
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Charitable Contributions as a Percentage of Income | 0.8% | 2019 |
2
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Households Without Vehicles | 10% | 2017-21 |
3
|
0
Maintaining
|
Worse than NYS by 10% or more Up to 10% worse than NYS Equal to or better than NYS
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