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, home to most of the region's cultural and tourist attractions and brings in nearly $1 billion a year in visitor spending. 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 grown only slightly since 1990. Monroe had nearly 730,000 residents in 2007, a 2.2% increase over 1990. This is below the rate of population growth in the state (7%) and nation (21%). The City of Rochester lost population over this time period, declining almost 11%.

Monroe County's population is aging. The number of adults 40 to 59 years old increased by 37% from 1990 to 2007, making it the largest segment of the population and consistent with regional, state and national trends. The largest increase was in the number of senior residents 85 and older, which grew 75%. Although this group represents only 2% of the total county population, the dramatic increase 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. Since 1990, the number of residents between 20 and 39 years old fell 23%, more than the state decrease of 11% and counter to a national increase of 1%. There are 56,000 fewer persons 20-39 in the county in 2007 than there were in 1990. The number of children and young adults under 20 years old also declined by 2% since 1990, compared to increases in the nation and state of 16% and 4% respectively.

Monroe County is the most racially and ethnically diverse county in the region, though it remains about 81% white. About 88% of the region's African-American residents and 78% of the region's Hispanic residents live in Monroe County. 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 2007, the number of African-American residents grew 2% and the number of Hispanic residents grew 8%. The greatest increase was in residents of two or more races, which grew 21%. The number of Asian residents increased 12%. Blacks remain the largest minority group in Monroe County with 15% of the population in 2007.

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, about 19% of households in the county were composed of married couples with children living at home, compared to 25% in 1990. In the same time period, unmarried households with children grew as a share of the total, from 9% to 11%. These changes in household type are similar to the trends at both the state and nation. In Rochester, unmarried households with children (18% of total) exceeded married couples with children (9%). In the region, Rochester had the highest proportion of nonfamily households made up of unrelated people living alone at 51%.


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 nearly $1 billion in Monroe in 2007, a 12% 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 27% from 2001 to 2007. Attendance at zoos and museums increased by almost 60%, likely due in part to the expansion of the Strong National Museum of Play. Attendance at musical events also increased steadily, and the creation in 2002 of the Rochester International Jazz Festival has helped fuel the trend. In addition, about 1 million people in 2007 attended professional sports games, most of them held in Monroe County.

Photo provided by Carlos Ortiz/Democrat and Chronicle

As it has region-wide, public funding for the arts in Monroe County has declined. State arts grants to the county fell 24% from 2001 to 2007. Monroe is the only county in the region to consistently receive federal arts funding, and that declined 71% from 1997 to 2007.State arts grants to the county fell 24% from 2001 to 2007. Monroe is the only county in the region to consistently receive federal arts funding, and that declined 71% from 1997 to 2007.

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 nearly $1 billion in Monroe in 2007, a 12% 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 27% from 2001 to 2007. Attendance at zoos and museums increased by almost 60%, likely due in part to the expansion of the Strong National Museum of Play. Attendance at musical events also increased steadily, and the creation in 2002 of the Rochester International Jazz Festival has helped fuel the trend. In addition, about 1 million people in 2007 attended professional sports games, most of them held in Monroe County.

As it has region-wide, public funding for the arts in Monroe County has declined. State arts grants to the county fell 24% from 2001 to 2007. Monroe is the only county in the region to consistently receive federal arts funding, and that declined 71% from 1997 to 2007.


Children and Youth

In 2006, 18% of children in Monroe County were living in poverty, on par with the nation and slightly below the state. That was up slightly from 17% in 1990. The largest concentration of poor children was in the City of Rochester, where 41% of children were living in poverty.

Similar to the state and nation, Monroe County has seen an increase in the number of children living in single parent households. In 2006, nearly 36% of children lived with one parent, up from 27% in 1990. The figures were dramatically higher in Rochester, where 66% of children were living with one parent. Among African-American 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. Rates of low birth-weight babies (11.7% in Rochester vs. 7.9% in region) and infant mortality (13.6 vs. 7.6 per 1,000 births) were higher in the city, while the rate of births for which mothers obtained early prenatal care (65% vs. 77%) was lower. However, the percentage of children identified with high blood-lead levels declined in Monroe County from 4.5% in 1996 to 2% in 2005 (date were not available for the city).

On other measures, Monroe has a mixed record. The county has a lower rate of abuse and neglect cases investigated (12 per 1,000 children) than the region (16 per 1,000 children), a higher rate of foster care admissions (4.2 vs. 3.6 per 1,000 children) and a higher rate of youths referred to the Persons in Need of Supervision system for incorrigible behavior (about 25 vs. 20 per 1,000 youths).

Yet the county has made progress on teen pregnancy, and youths surveyed reported several important assets. Teen pregnancies fell 30% in Monroe County from 1996 through 2006. In 2007, 91% of youths in the county report high self-esteem, and more than 80% said their families are supportive and enforce clear rules.


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 6.5% by December. (Note: while the average 2008 unemployment rate was lower, the 6.5% represents the high point achieved at the end of the year). The unemployment rate in Monroe County is typically lower than that of the New York State and surrounding counties. For the period 2000-2007, Monroe County's rate was 4.6% compared to 5.2% for NYS and 5.0% for surrounding counties.

Monroe County is the anchor of the regional economy, employing 70% of the region's workers in the region.
Only 6% of Monroe County residents work outside the county, a much lower proportion than any other county in the region. By contrast, only 38% of Ontario County's working residents and nearly half in Wayne County are employed outside the county , most in Monroe.

Reflecting the steady shrinkage of manufacturing in the region and the state, the largest sector in Monroe County in 2006 was Professional and Business Services with 15% of total county jobs. Manufacturing is in third place just behind Health Care and Social Assistance which provides just over 13% of total jobs. From 2001 through 2006 Monroe County lost more than one-fifth of its manufacturing jobs, the largest loss in the region and larger than the state's 18% loss. By contrast, the workforce in educational services expanded nearly 30%.

Monroe County's average salary, at $43,000 in 2007, was the highest in the region. Shrinkage at Fortune 500 firms like Kodak, Xerox and General Motors reduced the number of high paying jobs, driving a slow decline in inflation-adjusted average salaries in every year since 1999. Salaries fell in several sectors, including Information, Leisure and Hospitality and Trade, Transportation and Utilities, but they were up substantially in Finance 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. But it is often still above the state level of performance. Three-quarters of the class of 2007 in Monroe County graduated on-time, compared to 80% in the surrounding counties and 70% of students statewide. Just 45% of Rochester's class of 2007 graduated in four years, though that was an increase from 39% of the class of 2005. On state tests, county performance was at or slightly below the regional level. For example, 71% of eighth-graders met or exceeded standards on the state math test, compared to 74% for the region and 70% for the state. Just a third of Rochester students passed the test. Depending on the test, county students were below, even or above state performance.

However, Monroe County consistently has high levels of educational attainment among adults. In 2006, nearly 61% of county residents 25 and older had attended at least some college, 7 points above the state and national figures. That was up from 52% in 1990.

Spending per student by school districts in Monroe has increased 17% since 2000, even after adjusting for inflation. In 2006, Monroe school districts spent $15,100 per student, below the state rate of $16,700. Spending in the Rochester district was just over $16,000 per student in 2006.


Financial Self-Sufficiency

Median household income in Monroe County was lower in 2006 than the nation, state and two other most populous counties (Ontario and Wayne). At less than $49,000, the median (adjusted for inflation) was down 18% since 1990. The figure was much lower in the City of Rochester at just over $28,000. Racial and ethnic disparities in income were particularly pronounced in Monroe County, with the median household incomes of blacks and Hispanics about half that of whites.

In 2006, Monroe County had the highest poverty rate in the region at 13%, though that was on par with the nation and slightly less than the state. Poverty was particularly high in the City of Rochester at 30%. The county's poverty rate has increases steadily from 10.4% in 1990.

Monroe County had the highest participation rates in programs to help the needy, including public assistance and subsidized day care. But it also had the lowest approval rate for applications for public assistance. Monroe had 40 public assistance recipients for every 1,000 residents in 2007, compared to 11 in the surrounding counties. The figure was even higher for children, with 101 of every 1,000 children in the county receiving assistance, compared to 29 in the surrounding counties. Yet only 19% of public assistance applications in Monroe were approved in 2007, down from 31% in 2000 and below the surrounding counties' rate of 45%. About 6.3% of Monroe children were in subsidized child care, down from 7.3% in 2003 and above the surrounding counties' rate of 2.5%.


Health

Monroe County had a smaller proportion of people without health insurance than the state or the nation. In 2005, 11% of Monroe residents lacked health insurance, compared to 13% in the state and 15% 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 35 in 2006, slightly above the state level of 33.

Every county in the region has seen a steady decline in mortality rates since 2000. Monroe residents had a decline in mortality rates from heart disease (-20%), cancer (-10%), respiratory disease (-10%), and stroke (-25%).

Monroe County and especially the City of Rochester have the highest rates of sexually transmitted disease in the region. The rate of Chlamydia infection in Monroe of nearly 500 per 100,000 residents in 2006 was the highest in the region and about 40% higher than state and national levels. The rate in Rochester was nearly 1,500 per 100,000 residents. Similarly, Monroe's gonorrhea rate, while falling 43% since 2000, was 50% higher than the nation and double the state level. In Monroe County, 107 people per 100,000 have HIV, nearly triple the rate of surrounding counties and above the state level (excluding New York City) of 69.

Obesity is on the increase in Monroe County, as it is in the state and the nation. The percentage of county residents who were obese rose 6 points from 2000 to 2006, to 27%. The rate of increase was comparable in the state and nation, but Monroe's 2006 percentage is slightly higher than the state rate of 23% and national rate of 25%. In addition, obesity among blacks and Latinos in Monroe County exceeds statewide levels. The rate of obesity among Latinos in Monroe County was nearly 50% higher than the statewide level in 2006. Reported obesity among blacks in Monroe County exceeded the rate in NYS by 23%.


Housing

Home values in Monroe County have not kept up with inflation. While much of the nation saw home values balloon and then burst, Monroe homes lost 13% of their value in inflation-adjusted dollars between 1990 and 2006, falling from $143,000 to $124,000.

This has kept homes in the county affordable. The ratio of home value to median household income was about 2.5 in 2006; a ratio under 2 or 3 is considered affordable. Renting was also affordable in the county with about 17% of renters' household income going toward rent in 2006, below the 30% level considered affordable. But the rental proportion was noticeably higher for the City of Rochester, where renters spent just under 30% of their household income on rent in 2006.


Public Safety

Crime is down overall in Monroe County, but violent crimes have increased since 2000. While serious crimes have declined 21%, violent crimes (a subset of serious crimes) have increased 42% to 40 per 10,000 residents. The City of Rochester experienced an even larger increase of 53% to 114 violent crimes per 10,000 residents. Meanwhile, property crimes in the county fell 25% to 304 per 10,000 residents. The declines are in line with state trends, but the state also experienced a decline in violent crime of 25%. In the county, felony drug-related arrests were down by 37% from 2000 to 2007.

Juvenile delinquency intakes declined from 2000 to 2007 in Monroe County and throughout the region. The county had 9.2 intakes per 1,000 youths in 2007, one of the lowest rates in the region and down 14% from 2000.

Monroe County has experienced significant growth in both overall fires and structure fires since 2000. The number of fires per 100,000 residents rose nearly 90% (241 to 461) from 2000 to 2006, and the comparable statistic for structure fires increased 71% (from 120 to 206 per 100,000 residents).


Technology

Monroe County has lost some ground but continues to be a hub for technological jobs. About 9% of jobs were in high-tech industries in 2006, compared to 6% for the state and 7% for the nation. However, that number has declined from 10% in 1996.

Note: Data research and analysis conducted by the Center for Governmental Research.

 Banner photo provided by Peter "Skippy" Bushnell