Many counties are mainly rural with various farming communities scattered throughout the metropolitan area.

The Rochester NY MSA is the third largest economy and the fourth wealthiest region in all of NYS after New York City, Buffalo, and Albany.

The Rochester–Batavia–Seneca Falls combined statistical area is made up of eight counties in western New York.

Metropolitan Rochester has the third largest regional economy in all of NYS, after the NYC and Buffalo areas.

[citation needed] As of 2016[6] The Rochester area, particularly in Monroe County, has a large number of colleges and universities.

[15] The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) was founded in 1829 and is the tenth largest private university in the country in terms of full-time students.