General Overview

As the urban seat and most populous county of the ACT Rochester region, Monroe County reflects most of the dominant regional trends. Monroe is the most racially and ethnically diverse county in the area, and home to most of the region's cultural and tourist attractions. Yet its economy and population counts are largely stagnant. And with poverty concentrated in the City of Rochester, some measures of child health and educational achievement lag the region and the state.

Demographic Overview

Monroe County is the center of the Rochester region, accounting for 65% of its population, yet the county's population has remained essentially unchanged since 2000. Monroe had nearly 734,000 residents in 2009, with about 28% of those residents living in the City of Rochester. Rochester lost about 6% of its population between 2000 and 2008, compared to a 3% increase in the state and a 9% increase nationwide in the past 10 years.

Monroe County's population is aging. The number of adults 40 to 59 years old increased by 7% from 2000 to 2006-08, making it the largest segment of the population and consistent with regional, state and national trends. The number of 60 to 84 year olds also increased by 12%, to almost 122,000 residents, during this time. The largest proportional increase was in the number of senior residents 85 and older, which grew 25%. Although this group represents only 2% of the total county population, the increase in both the 60 to 84 and 85 and older population highlights the growing need for sufficient elder care and support services.

Similar to other counties in the upstate region, Monroe is experiencing substantial declines in its number of youths and younger adults. There were about 15,000 fewer persons ages 20 to 39 in the county in 2006-08 than there were in 2000, a 7% decline. The number of children and young adults under 20 years old also declined by 8% since 2000, compared to a 3% increase in the nation.

Monroe County is the most racially and ethnically diverse county in the region, though it remains about 80% white.  About 78% of the region's Hispanic residents and 88% of the region's African American or black residents live in Monroe County, compared with 61% of the white population. Other counties are experiencing more rapid growth in minority populations, in part because of their relatively small base numbers. In Monroe County from 2000 to 2006-08, the number of African American residents grew 3% and the number of Hispanic residents grew 16%. The greatest proportional increase was in residents of two or more races, which grew 36% to just over 12,000 residents. The number of Asian residents increased 12%. African Americans remain the largest minority group in Monroe County with 108,000 residents, making up 15% of the total county population in 2009.

Monroe County has seen a decline in the share of households of married couples with children and an increase in unmarried households with children. In 2006-08, about 19% of households in the county were composed of married couples with children living at home, compared to 22% in 2000. In the same time period, unmarried households with children grew as a share of the total, from 10% to 12%. These changes in household type are similar to the trends at both the state and nation. In Rochester, unmarried households with children (22% of total) exceeded married couples with children (10%). In the region, Rochester had the highest proportion of nonfamily households with 49% of households made up of unrelated people living together.

Arts, Culture and Leisure
 

Monroe County is the center of the region's cultural scene and home to most of our area's museums, sports venues and other attractions. Visitors spent $960 million in Monroe in 2008, an 8% increase over 2005 and 71% of the total for the region. Attendance at the 15 largest arts and cultural attractions in the region, most in Monroe County, grew 9% from 2002 to 2008. Attendance at music events increased by more than 250%, due to the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival and the CMAC Performing Arts Center in Ontario County ranking as top cultural attractions in 2008. In addition, total attendance at professional sports games in 2008, most of them held in Monroe County, hit nearly 833,000.

Photo provided by Carlos Ortiz/Democrat and Chronicle

Monroe County is the center of the region's cultural scene and home to most of our area's museums, sports venues and other attractions. Visitors spent $960 million in Monroe in 2008, an 8% increase over 2005 and 71% of the total for the region. Attendance at the 15 largest arts and cultural attractions in the region, most in Monroe County, grew 9% from 2002 to 2008. Attendance at music events increased by more than 250%, due to the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival and the CMAC Performing Arts Center in Ontario County ranking as top cultural attractions in 2008. In addition, total attendance at professional sports games in 2008, most of them held in Monroe County, hit nearly 833,000.

Public funding for the arts in Monroe County continues to vary year-to-year. State arts grants to the county fell 32% from 2001 to 2009, though 2008 was a recent peak. Monroe is the only county in the region to consistently receive federal arts funding, and that generally increased, with 2009 grants totaling about 86% more than those received in 2000. 

Children and Youth

In 2006-08, 18% of children in Monroe County were living in poverty, on par with the nation and slightly below the state. This rose slightly from 16% in 2000 to almost 30,000 children. The largest concentration of poor children was in the City of Rochester, where 42% of children were living in poverty in 2006-08, an increase of 4 points from 2000.

Similar to the state and nation, Monroe County has seen an increase in the number of children living in single-parent households. In 2006-08, 36% of children lived with one parent, up from 32% in 2000. The figures were dramatically higher in Rochester, where 69% of children were living with one parent. Among African American or black children in the city, 75% were in single-parent households.

On several measures of early childhood health, the City of Rochester fared poorly compared to the rest of the region and the state. The rate of low birth-weight babies (10.1% in Rochester vs. 7.4% in region) was higher in the city, while the rate of births for which mothers obtained early prenatal care (67% vs. 77%) was lower. However, the number of Monroe County children identified with high blood-lead levels declined by 55% (data were not available for the city), bringing the county's rate of 1.6% closer in line with the state rate (excluding NYC) of 0.9%.

On other measures, Monroe County has a mixed record. Monroe consistently has the lowest rate of abuse and neglect cases investigated (13 per 1,000 children) in the region and is lower than the state's rate (which has been between 13 per 1,000 children in 2000 to 17 per 1,000 children in 2008). Monroe's rate of foster care admissions (2.6 per 1,000 children) is declining and is also lower than the statewide rate (3.0).  While Monroe has seen a 30% decline in the number of youths petitioned as Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS) between 2000 and 2008, the county's rate is much higher than the state (about 4.0 vs. 2.2 per 1,000 youths). Monroe's rate of Juvenile Delinquency intakes also increased 10% over this time, from 107 per 10,000 children 7 to 16 years old, to 118.

Like the rest of the region, Monroe County has made little progress on teen pregnancy.  The rate of pregnancies among 15 to 19-year-olds has remained unchanged since 2000 at 6%, with between 1,400 to 1,700 teens becoming pregnant each year in the county. However, in 2008 Monroe reported its highest number in the decade with 1,696 teen pregnancies.    

Community Engagement

Voter registration in Monroe County exceeds regional and state rates. In 2009, 83% of voting age adults were registered, compared to 82% in the region and 77% in the state. In the 2008 presidential election, 63% of voting age residents voted, above the regional rate of 62%, the state rate of 51% and the national rate of 57%.

Monroe County had the highest level of charitable giving in the region, with the average donor contributing more than $3,300.  However, this was well below the average giving for the state and nation. Monroe residents also gave the highest proportion of their incomes to charity, just below the state and national rates of approximately 3% each.  However, support for two area charities, the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Rochester Area Community Foundation, has steadily decreased since 2000 (adjusting for inflation).

Economy

The effects of the current recession began to be reflected in the unemployment rate in Monroe County in the middle of 2008, with the rate rising to 7.8% by the end of 2009. Throughout the decade the unemployment rate in Monroe County has typically been lower than that of the surrounding counties, the state and the nation. In 2009, the surrounding counties had an unemployment rate of 8.1%, the statewide rate was 8.4% and the nation was 9.3%.

Monroe County is the anchor of the regional economy, employing 71% of the region's workers. Reflecting the steady shrinkage of manufacturing in the region and the state, the largest sector in Monroe County in 2007 was Trade, Transportation, and Utilities with 15% of the county's jobs. Manufacturing is now the fifth largest employing sector, contributing just over 12% of total jobs. From 2001 through 2007 Monroe County lost 27% of its manufacturing jobs, the largest loss in the region and larger than the state's 20% loss. By contrast, the workforce in Educational Services expanded nearly 30%, consistent with regional trends.

Monroe County's average salary, at $43,500 in 2008, was the highest in the region. However, since 2000, the average salary in Monroe (adjusted for inflation) has declined by 1%, counter to the small increases experienced in the surrounding counties, state and nation. Salaries fell in several sectors, including Information, Natural Resources, Leisure and Hospitality and Educational Services, but they were up substantially in Government and Health Care and Social Assistance.

Education

Monroe County tends to slightly lag the region in key educational measures, largely because of low performance in the City of Rochester. Slightly less than three-quarters of the class of 2009 in Monroe County graduated on-time, compared to 81% in the surrounding counties and 80% of students statewide. Just 42% of Rochester's class of 2009 graduated in four years, though that was an increase from 39% of the class of 2005. County performance varied across state exams.   For example, 72% of eighth-graders met or exceeded standards on the state English test, on par with the region and slightly above the state's rate of 69%. Less than 45% of Rochester students passed the test, though this was up significantly from the low of 17% passing in 2003. Depending on the test, county students were below, even with or above state performance.

However, Monroe County consistently has high levels of educational attainment among adults. In 2006-08, 62% of county residents 25 and older had attended at least some college, 7 points above the state and national figures.  Only 12% of Monroe residents had less than a high school education, a lower proportion than statewide or nationwide.

Spending per student by school districts in Monroe has increased 21% since 2000, even after adjusting for inflation. In 2008, Monroe school districts spent over $16,100 per student, below the state rate of $18,300. Spending in the Rochester district was just under $18,000 per student in 2008.

Environment

A large proportion of Monroe's waters have been negatively impacted by pollution.  Forty-six percent of waterways were classified as "impaired," with occasional to frequent usage restrictions, and another 41% were listed as having "minor impacts," meaning that pollution had reduced the water quality. 

Toxic releases increased for the first time since 2002, with about 2.5 pounds per resident released in 2008.  However, 32% of Monroe's 66 hazardous waste sites have completed their cleanup, and another 9% pose no current threat.

Financial Self-Sufficiency

Median household income in Monroe County was lower in 2006-08 than in the nation, state, and three surrounding counties (Ontario, Wayne, and Livingston). At $51,500, the median income (adjusted for inflation) was down 11% since 2000. The figure was much lower in the City of Rochester at $30,600. Racial and ethnic disparities in income were particularly pronounced in Monroe County, with the median household incomes of Hispanics and African Americans or blacks about half that of whites.

In 2006-08, Monroe County had one of the highest poverty rates in the region at 13%, on par with the nation and slightly less than the state. Poverty was particularly high in the City of Rochester at 29%. All counties in the region have seen an increase in the proportion of residents living in poverty, with Monroe increasing 2 points from its rate of 11% in 2000.

Monroe County had the highest participation rates in programs to help the needy, including public assistance and subsidized day care. But it also tied Genesee for the lowest approval rate of applications for public assistance. Monroe had 40 public assistance recipients for every 1,000 residents in 2009, compared to 12 in the surrounding counties and 27 in New York State. The figure was even higher for children, with 102 of every 1,000 children in the county receiving assistance, compared to 29 in the surrounding counties and 66 in New York State. Yet only 21% of public assistance applications in Monroe were approved in 2009, down from 31% in 2000 and well below the surrounding counties' rate of 44%. About 5% of Monroe children were in subsidized child care in 2008, down from 7% in 2003 and above the surrounding counties' rate of 2%. This represents a 39% reduction in the number of subsidized children from 2003 to 2008.

Health

Monroe County had a smaller proportion of people under 65 without health insurance than the state or the nation. In 2006, 12% of Monroe residents lacked health insurance, compared to 15% in the surrounding counties, 16% in the state and 18% in the nation. Within the region, Monroe had one the highest enrollment rates in the Medicaid program of health insurance for the poor and disabled at 16%. Monroe had the highest number of physicians per 10,000 residents at 36 in 2007, slightly above the state level of 33.

Monroe has seen a slight decline in its overall mortality rate and much larger reductions in mortality from specific diseases. From 2000 to 2008, Monroe residents had a decline in mortality from heart disease (-22%), cancer (-4%), respiratory disease (-10%), and stroke (-33%).

Monroe County has the highest rates of sexually transmitted disease in the region. The rate of Chlamydia infection in Monroe, of nearly 640 per 100,000 residents in 2008, was more than three times higher than the surrounding counties rate and about 40% higher than state levels. Similarly, Monroe's gonorrhea rate, while falling 44% since 2000, was more than double the state rate. In Monroe County, 111 people per 100,000 have HIV, nearly triple the rate of surrounding counties and well above the state level of 70 (excluding New York City).

Obesity is an issue for Monroe County, as it is in the state and the nation. More than 6 out of 10 residents in Monroe County are overweight or obese, slightly higher than the state's rate. Yet just 16% of Monroe residents reported little or no leisure time physical activity in 2008-09, compared to roughly a quarter in the state and nation.

Housing

Homes in Monroe County have retained their value through the housing bubble. While state and national values soared and then fell, Monroe homes appreciated 3% from 2000 to 2006-08, rising from just over $122,000 to nearly $126,000 (adjusted for inflation).

Yet homes in the county remain affordable. The ratio of home value to median household income was about 1.9 in 2006-08; a ratio under 2 or 3 is considered affordable. This contrasts with ratios of 4.1 for the state and just under 3.0 for the nation.

Housing is less affordable for renters who spent about 34% of their household income on rent in 2006-08, slightly above the 30% level considered affordable, and up from 28% in 2000. But the rental proportion was noticeably higher for the City of Rochester, where renters spent just over 40% of their household income on rent in 2006-08.

Public Safety

Crime is down overall in Monroe County, but violent crimes have increased since 2000. While serious crimes have declined 19%, violent crimes (a subset of serious crimes) have increased 25% to 36 per 10,000 residents. Meanwhile, property and other reported crimes each fell 22% over the decade. The declines are in line with state trends, but the state also experienced a 30% decline in violent crime. In the county, felony drug-related arrests dropped by a third between 2000 and 2008.

Consistent with other counties in the region, Monroe has experienced significant growth in both overall fires and structure fires since 2000. The number of fires per 10,000 residents rose about 85% (24 to 45) from 2000 to 2008, while structure fires increased by 9% (from 12 per 10,000 residents to 13).

Technology

Monroe County continues to be a hub for technological jobs and research. About 14% of jobs were in high-tech industries in 2008, compared to 8% for the state and nearly 10% for the nation. Science and Engineering funding at academic institutions in the county totaled $301.6 million, a decline from the totals received between 2005 and 2007, but an overall 47% increase compared to 2000 (after adjusting for inflation). 

Transportation

Though a smaller proportion of Monroe residents have regular access to a car than their regional peers, Monroe boasts high use of public transportation.  Eighty-nine percent of households in the county had access to a vehicle in 2006-08, compared to 94% in the counties surrounding Monroe. In 2009-10, there were 23 public transit trips taken per resident, a 30% increase since 2000-01.  However, 84% of Monroe commuters drove to work alone in 2006-08, more than in the nation (79%) and the state (56%).

Monroe County residents have the shortest average commute time in the region. Residents in Monroe spend an average of 19 minutes commuting to work, compared to 23 minutes in the surrounding counties, 31 minutes in the state, and 25 minutes nationwide.