For those who do not own a home, rent is a necessary expense. The higher a family's rental expenses, the less they have to spend on their other needs. However, higher median rental values can also be indicative of a better home and community.

In 2017-21, the median monthly rent in the region was $936, lower than the statewide median of $1,390 and the national median of $1,163. The median for the region decreased 5% from 2000 to 2007-11, was flat from 2007-11 to 2012-16, and increased 3% from 2012-16 to 2017-21. Overall, the region's median rent was down slightly (2%) in 2017-21 compared to 2000 after adjusting for inflation. In contrast, state and national median rents increased 27% and 19%, respectively, from 2000 to 2017-21.

Between 2000 and 2017-21, median rents in most counties in the region decreased slightly after adjusting for inflation, with the greatest drops in Wyoming (9%) and Wayne (6%). Only Ontario saw a slight increase since 2000 (5%). The median rent for Monroe County was flat during this timeframe.

Among the region's counties, Monroe had the highest median rent in 2017-21 at about $991 per month, followed closely by Ontario, at $962. Wyoming had the lowest, at $713. The City of Rochester had a median rent of $915, which was among the lowest within Monroe County; the median was highest in 2017-21 in the Town and Village of Pittsford, both slightly over $1,300. Rochester's median rent was higher than in Canandaigua ($903), Geneva ($857) and Batavia ($818).

Data are presented in 2021 dollars. Multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Figures for the region and surrounding counties were calculated by aggregating county medians based on each county's share of the region's population. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.