About Rochester and Southeastern Minnesota

Rochester is located in Southeastern Minnesota approximately seventy-five miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul and is projected to be the third largest city in the State of Minnesota at the conclusion of the 2010 Census. Rochester and its economy are built around health care (Mayo Clinic, Federal Medical Center, and Olmsted Medical Center); high technology (IBM and Elk Run Biobusiness Park); agriculture (Farming, Marigold Foods, Pace Dairies); and the hospitality industry.

Rochester is home to the world renowned Mayo Clinic located in the heart of downtown Rochester. Patients from all over the world visit this famous Clinic known for its excellent health care, education, and research. Mayo Clinic is the largest employer in our city currently employing over 31,500 full-time and part-time employees. IBM is also located in NW Rochester and has the second largest employer in our city with slightly over 4,000 employees. IBM Rochester is known for the research, development and manufacturing of the AS/400 business computers.

Quick Facts about Rochester, Olmsted County and the State of Minnesota:
Population:
Rochester – 100,413
Olmsted County – 141,360
State of Minnesota – 5,266,214

Smaller Towns within a 25 minute drive to Rochester:   Byron, Kasson, Mantorville, Dodge Center, Stewartville, Racine, Eyota, Dover, Pine Island, Plainview, and Elgin.

Rochester Home Price Info:

Median Sales Price for Rochester - $139,900
New Median List Price - $155,000
Current Active Listings – 884

There is one Public School District in Rochester (District 535) that provides twenty-three schools... sixteen elementary (K-5), four middle level (6-8) and three senior high schools (9-12). The school district is committed to providing high quality education for more than 17,000 students. Private education is also offered in Rochester. There are Catholic, Lutheran, Faith Christian, and Schaefer Academy schools in Rochester for those seeking a Public School alternative.

Higher education is also available in our area from the University of Minnesota Rochester, Rochester Community and Technical College, Winona State University Rochester, St. Mary's University, Concordia College, Viterbo College, Augsburg College Rochester, Minnesota School of Business, Cardinal Stretch University, and Crossroads College. Instruction includes a wide range of fields from education, computer science, social work, psychology, and nursing. Master's and Doctoral degrees can also be obtained in specific fields.

The Rochester area offers many shopping, arts, and recreational opportunities. The most visible shopping area is Apache Mall which offers more than one hundred stores. Downtown Rochester attracts shoppers to antique, retail, and specialty stores. Rochester has more than seventy-five city parks with areas for relaxing, walking, and sports activities. The Rochester Honkers baseball team plays its games at Mayo Field from June to August in the Northwoods Summer Baseball League. The Rochester area has no shortage of rivers, lakes, and streams for fishing, canoeing, and swimming activities. The Rochester Civic Theatre offers many high quality shows and performances. The Minneapolis-St. Paul area to the north offers teams in the four major professional sports – The Minnesota Wild of the NHL; the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA; the Minnesota Vikings of the NHL; and the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball.