Growth in the University’s scientific, education, community, and healthcare missions generates a significant impact on the region’s economy.
The University of Rochester, UR Medicine, and its affiliates stand as transformative economic forces in the City of Rochester, Monroe County, the Finger Lakes, and Southern Tier regions, according to a newly commissioned report.
The report, Economic Engine and Community Catalyst (PDF), analyzed FY24 data to quantify URochester’s annualized economic footprint—both through its operations and academic activities, and its extensive health system—and illustrates how the institution leads the way in driving prosperity, innovation, and opportunity in the region and state. Beyond direct economic measures, the report also demonstrates URochester’s extraordinary commitment to community development through comprehensive initiatives totaling more than $660 million in community benefits in the past year.
With more than 39,000 employees, URochester, combined with UR Medicine and affiliates, represents the largest private employer in the Greater Rochester and upstate New York regions, making the institution an epicenter of regional economic stability and growth. This impact extends far beyond direct employment, creating ripple effects that strengthen the entire economic ecosystem.
Among the report’s economic highlights:
- URochester directly supports 32,200 jobs in the city of Rochester, or 1 in every 14 jobs. Statewide, the institution directly and indirectly supports an estimated 66,700 jobs, or 1 in every 126 jobs in New York.
- A total statewide impact of $13 billion and nationwide estimated impact of almost $18 billion.
- $322 million in income, sales, and business taxes paid by URochester.
- A research enterprise that has an almost $1 billion ($952 million) positive impact on New York State.
- Capital investments that result in $608 million annual impact statewide. In the City of Rochester, URochester’s capital projects generate $312 million in total economic impact, supporting over 1,700 full-time jobs with $126 million in employee compensation.
- $92 million regional impact from student, patient, and visitor spending, and $197 million statewide impact.
- $79 million alumni impact in the city of Rochester, and $785 million alumni impact in New York state.
As a comprehensive health system, UR Medicine stands as the safety-net provider and most specialized academic healthcare system in upstate New York with more than 5 million outpatient visits, 300,000 emergency room visits, and 74,000 hospital admissions annually across its eight hospitals, seven nursing homes, and numerous clinical locations. Serving more than 27 counties, UR Medicine combines compassionate clinical care, educational excellence, and innovative research while addressing critical community needs in one of the nation’s most economically challenged regions.
Regional economic leadership
URochester’s contributions to regional competitiveness extend across multiple dimensions, from groundbreaking research that positions the region as a global leader in key technologies to comprehensive workforce development programs that ensure regional employers have access to skilled talent. Through nearly half a billion dollars in annual research funding, world-class facilities like the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and strategic partnerships with industry leaders, the University serves as a catalyst for regional economic transformation.
The University’s research enterprise creates new knowledge and technologies with commercial potential while training the next generation of researchers and innovators. Academic programs aligned with regional economic priorities ensure graduates possess skills needed for emerging industries, while comprehensive internship and experiential learning programs connect students with regional employers and create talent pipelines supporting business growth.
URochester’s regional economic development ecosystem includes affiliate NextCorps, which serves as an innovation catalyst, fostering entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and manufacturing growth in the region. NextCorps was the anchor of Sibley Square’s $200 million renovation downtown and the city’s Downtown Innovation Zone. Currently, NextCorps works with more than 100 local companies annually and is home to Luminate, the world’s only accelerator and investor fund for startups with optics, photonics, and imaging-enabled technologies.
Healthcare leadership
UR Medicine operates as the largest health system in upstate New York, providing comprehensive medical services that extend far beyond the Rochester metropolitan area. The health system’s hospitals serve as anchor employers throughout their respective regions. This employment base provides stable, well-paying jobs in areas where such opportunities are often limited.
UR Medicine’s commitment to community health extends through substantial charity care programs (free healthcare for uninsured patients), ensuring that essential healthcare services remain accessible to underserved populations. This dual role as both major employer and healthcare safety net demonstrates how UR Medicine functions as a critical economic and social stabilizer throughout upstate New York’s communities. This substantial investment includes $308 million in uncompensated medical costs and charity care; almost $170 million in subsidized health services, including low- or no-cost prescription drugs, and pediatric, mental and behavioral health, and obstetrics services; and more than $175 million in health professional workforce development. These programs and services directly address critical community needs while ensuring healthcare access for underserved populations throughout the region.
Research enterprise
The University’s research enterprise represents a critical economic asset for both the region and state. With an annual research budget of $488 million, approximately 96 percent of which comes from sources outside the city and state, the University functions as a powerful economic engine that brings external capital into Rochester and New York State. This external funding—almost all of which would not otherwise flow into Rochester and New York State—demonstrates the University’s unique ability to attract national resources and talent to benefit local communities.
URochester’s position as a Tier 1 research university is supported by an extraordinary array of world-class research facilities, scientists, and technologies that empower bold ideas and drive breakthrough discoveries. With more than 3,000 researchers and 500 laboratories dedicated to scientific research, the University creates an innovation ecosystem where students, faculty, and staff conduct some of the highest volume of research activity in the United States. This extensive research infrastructure serves not only internal discovery needs but also provides critical resources for regional industry partnerships and economic development initiatives, such as the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences, the New York State Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and key public-private partnerships like EmpireAI, the NY SMART I-Corridor Semiconductor Tech Hub, and efforts to establish the region as a national leader in laser technologies, education, company creation, manufacturing, and workforce development.
Commitment to community
The University’s engagement with the City of Rochester and local communities demonstrates the transformative power of anchor institutions that fully embrace their role as catalysts for community prosperity and enrichment. The University invests almost $535,000 annually in local partners to support economic, workforce, and community-building activities, and more than $2 million in community health improvement services. Such investments exemplify how the University leverages its position as a major employer and healthcare provider to strengthen the broader community through targeted programs that address housing, economic development, and public health initiatives.
The University offers extensive arts and cultural programming open to regional residents, including performances, exhibitions, and artistic events that would otherwise be inaccessible in a mid-sized metropolitan area:
- The Eastman School of Music offers concerts, recitals, and educational programs that provide community members with access to world-class musical performances and education. The University and Eastman are also longtime supporters of the Rochester International Jazz Festival and the Rochester Fringe Festival.
- The Memorial Art Gallery—the region’s largest art museum—enriches the cultural landscape through its collection of over 12,000 objects and year-round programming of exhibitions, lectures, concerts, tours, and family activities on its 14-acre campus. Free school tours, transportation of students to the museum, and free memberships for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cardholders are some of the ways that MAG removes the financial barriers to visiting the museum.
- Athletic facilities and youth development programs create additional pathways for community engagement, providing recreational opportunities and structured programming that supports healthy youth development throughout the region.
Substantial tax revenue generation
As a tax-exempt, nonprofit institution, URochester generates significant tax revenues for the state government through its economic activities. The consolidated entity generates approximately $322 million annually in tax revenues for the State of New York. This contribution of income, sales, and business taxes demonstrates how the University’s presence directly supports essential services and infrastructure that benefit all residents.
Voices of URochester and community leaders
University President Sarah Mangelsdorf: “We are unwavering in our commitment to strengthening and enriching the Greater Rochester community. By delivering the very best healthcare, driving research-based innovation, and celebrating musical and cultural vibrance, we enhance the lives of Rochesterians and people throughout upstate New York. As the largest employer in the region, we are proud to work with our area partners to actively shape a more vibrant, resilient, and thriving community in which all can live, work, and flourish.”
David Linehan, CEO of the Medical Center, dean of the School of Medicine & Dentistry, and senior vice president for health sciences at the University: “No strategy to improve community health is more important than helping people obtain good-paying jobs with paths to career advancement. The data in this report demonstrate our health system’s commitment to workforce development in all the communities we serve, which is our responsibility both as the region’s largest employer and health provider.”
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello: “As Monroe County’s largest private employer and leading driver of economic growth, the University of Rochester and UR Medicine is an indispensable cornerstone institution of our region. Their expansive missions in healthcare, education, and research not only create a robust economic ecosystem but also enrich our community’s quality of life, making the University a truly transformative force. I am grateful for their leadership and partnership in moving our community forward.”
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans: “Beyond its role as our largest employer, the University of Rochester’s commitment to excellence in education and research drives billions of dollars in investments that serve as magnets of talent, innovation, and job creation, and shape our city’s social and cultural landscape. We are truly fortunate to count the University and its affiliates as a central building block for Rochester’s future.”
Matt Hurlbutt, president and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE): “The University of Rochester’s influential role as the Greater Rochester, New York, region’s largest employer is felt in numerous ways across the community as an invaluable resource for educating a highly skilled workforce, a world-class R&D hub, and an exceptional healthcare provider. As a stalwart, longstanding partner, the University of Rochester is crucial to Greater Rochester Enterprise’s efforts to attract and nurture business growth and spur innovation. Together, the University of Rochester and Greater Rochester Enterprise have collaborated on numerous initiatives, most recently leading efforts to solidify Rochester’s position as a top contender for an NSF grant that will further enhance Rochester’s world-renowned expertise in optics, photonics, imaging, and laser technologies.”
Bob Duffy, president and CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber: “The University of Rochester’s economic impact within our Greater Rochester community is unmatched. Including the University and its Medical Centers, their outstanding commitment to the region, its residents, and its economy make for a more vibrant and connected community. URochester provides tens of thousands of individuals in our region with meaningful careers, economic mobility, and the ability to invest back in our community. Through their role as a world-class hub for education and medicine alike, the University of Rochester is an outstanding and transformational asset for all corners of our region from the City of Rochester to its rural surroundings. Greater Rochester Chamber is proud to work alongside to advance our community and economic goals.”
