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Things You Should Know Before Moving to Rochester, MN

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Rochester, nicknamed Med City for its large and rapidly growing healthcare sector, is located in Minnesota on the banks of the Zumbro River. The city's population continues to grow, and it's been expanding steadily for the past decade, growing by over 2,000 from 2010 to 2012. Rochester is currently the third largest city in the state of Minnesota in terms of population, and it's the largest city outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan area.

The city of Rochester, located in Southern Minnesota, has been voted the Best Place to Live in the U.S. by Money magazine several times, including four years in a row from 1993-1997, and is still a regular fixture on the list. In addition, Rochester ranked sixth on Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine's list of 10 Best Cities for the Next Decade.

This guide will provide you with some helpful tips and information on just about everything you need to know if you're going to be making the move to Rochester. From the city's neighborhoods and school systems to the employment options and recreational activities available within the city, you'll find it all in this guide so that you can go into your move with the knowledge that is needed to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Rochester Climate

Rochester weather is typically characterized by the humid continental climate that can be found throughout the state of Minnesota. This climate is marked by the dramatic shift in temperature between the summer and winter seasons, a characteristic very typical of the continental climate found in the northern region of the Midwestern states.

While winter temperatures have been known to drop well below freezing, reaching as low as the teens and single digits on a regular basis, average summer temperatures can climb into the high 80s and 90s, depending on your location. The state's topography also makes it particularly susceptible to lots of precipitation year-round and Rochester typically sees an average of 48 inches of snowfall per year.

Rochester Geography and Neighborhoods

Although Rochester is located on both banks of the Zumbro River, it mostly runs along the river's South Fork. The total area of the city is 54.75 square miles, and while the state of Minnesota is typically referred to as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," the city of Rochester is located in Olmsted County, one of only four counties in the entire state to not contain a natural lake. Of course, there are many artificial lakes that exist in the county, as well as in Rochester. The city has many parks and recreational areas, including Silver Lake and Soldier's Field.

Living Costs in the City

In terms of living costs, Rochester is a fairly average middle-class Midwestern city, with a rapidly growing local economy and a vastly improving job market. The cost of living in Rochester is moderate, and you'll find rent prices and real estate prices being comparable to other cities in the area.

The median family income in Rochester is $79,869, which, when compared to the average sale prices of real estate in the area, suggests a lower cost of living as the ratio of median family income to median home price is lower than other comparable cities. The median home price for an average home in Rochester is $141,000, slightly lower than the national average.

Registering Your Car

Upon your arrival in Minnesota after moving to the state permanently, you have a total of 60 days to update your registration and have your vehicle registered in the state before you may be required to pay a penalty.

A Minnesota Driver's License can be obtained at any Minnesota DMV location. The state requires new Minnesota residents to update their license from their previous state to a Minnesota driver's license by completing a written test and a vision test. If your existing out-of-state license has been expired for longer than a year, you will also be required to take a road test as well.

Rochester Moving Resources

Moving and storage companies are ready and willing to help you with your move to Rochester, whether you're moving from out of state or from another county in Minnesota. Make sure you get estimates from multiple moving services before you commit to hiring any (at least three estimates). Check back to our guides for tips on how to choose your moving service wisely with important questions to ask, differentiating between types of estimates, and mistakes to avoid. Visit the following pages at Movers.com to get quotes for the following services:

Rochester Schools

The public school system in Rochester is operated by Rochester Public Schools, a district which enrolls over 16,300 students every year in 23 public schools across the state. The schools include three public high schools with their own individual public high school districts. These high schools are John Marshall High School, Mayo High School, and Century High School. There are also several private and charter schools located in Rochester as well.

In addition to primary and secondary education, there are a few institutes of higher education that can be found within Rochester, including Rochester Community and Technical College, Winona State University, University of Minnesota Rochester, Crossroads College and the Minnesota School of Business.

Rochester Employment

Health care and the medical field comprise most of Rochester's local economy and the majority of the Rochester workforce. The Mayo Clinic is the institution at the core, employing over 30,000 people in the city and drawing over two million visitors to Rochester each year. The clinic has a number of facilities in the downtown area, and along with the many hotels, restaurants and businesses located there, has created a stable and blossoming local economy.

The top 10 employers in Rochester, according to a recent comprehensive annual financial report, are the Mayo Clinic, IBM, Rochester Public Schools, Olmsted County, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, HyVee, the Olmsted Medical Center and Charter Communications. The local economy and job market is in a period of growth and the current unemployment rate is at a low 4.6 percent as of March 2013, on a decline from previous figures in 2011 and 2012, while the job growth rate is at 13.29 percent.

Public Transportation

The major public transportation system in Rochester is operated by Rochester Public Transit and it provides bus service throughout the city and to the surrounding areas as well. In addition to the buses, there is also shuttle service operated by Go Rochester Direct that provides a shuttle to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

For taxi service, you can choose between three taxi companies that operate within the city, Yellow Cab, Med City Taxi and Rochester Taxi Inc. The closest major airport is the Rochester International Airport, which is located only seven miles from downtown Rochester and is the second busiest commercial airport in the state of Minnesota.

Culture and Contemporary Life

Rochester is a city with a lot of history, and as such, there are a number of historical buildings and sites worth seeing throughout the city. A hotel which was integral in the local civil rights movement now houses an Avalon Music, and the former Chateau Theater now houses a Barnes & Noble bookstore; both sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Rochester Art Center is located in the downtown area, as is the Mayo Civic Center, and they feature a collection of performances throughout the year, including the Rochester Symphony Orchestra & Chorale. For the nature lovers, there are over 85 miles of trails within the city of Rochester and over 100 different parks that span five square miles, so there are plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy the pleasantly mild Minnesota weather during the spring, summer and fall seasons.

Moving to Rochester

Whatever your reasons for moving to Rochester, whether it be for a change of scenery or for employment, the city beckons you with its charm. The first step in the process of moving to Rochester is choosing a moving company after first checking their BBB ratings, insurance and license. The moving rates are charged by the hour if you are moving within the state boundary, while for a long distance move the charges will depend on the total weight or volume in cubic feet of your belongings. In the latter case, you can ask about a flat rate or any special discounts that are available with the mover.

Robert Moreschi  Posted by Robert Moreschi on June 18, 2013

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