Moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Rochester, MN (Byron, Hills: real estate, new home)

[Renelou]

I'm considering a move from Colorado Springs, CO to Rochester, MN within the next two years.
Can you tell me what the Rochester area is like?

Looking for info on the following:

• Topography - is the land flat? Hills & valleys?
• Quality of High Schools - Looking for Great Schools rating of 8+
• Weather - How cold? Windy? Length of summer?
• Bugs - Bird sized mosquitos?
• Culture - Museums, current events, etc.
• Outdoor Activities - Camping? Remote areas for hiking/fishing?
• Gardening - Can I grow flowers or vegetables?

Any other comments or information you have would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[HappyHappy001]

Rochester MN is a great place to raise a family. The economy is primarily dominated by Medical, Education and Hospitality. There is ongoing growth due to the city wanting to be a "medical destination".....look it up on the google. Typically have been plenty of jobs in medicine, education, construction, and unskilled labor. The schools in the Rochester area have good ratings, but the "bedroom" communities within 15 miles have excellent ratings and have often had to close open enrollment when full. I know both ColoSprgs and Rochester and would say that Rochester and the surrounding areas have a slightly lower cost of living and wages that are slightly higher. Sadly Rochester has not been as supportive with big name music artists, but big names are always playing in the Twin Cities or Lacrosse, which are only a tad over an hour drive away. The restaurant scene has dramatically improved over the last 10 years, many trendy eats now available. Haven't kept up, but in the best had ranked very high in Best Small Cities.

[unxpctd]

I'm about an hour away from Rochester, closer to being south of the Twin Cities. I don't get over to Rochester as much as I used to but I can tell you what HappyHappy001 said is very true. Its a very nice community.



Couple observations to your questions:


Weather? Well winters can be cold....its Minnesota afterall. The I-90 cooridor gets windy too.


Outdoor activities? I'm not much of an outdoorsman but did stay at a Minnesota state park along the MN/WI border a couple years ago. There are some very picturesque areas around Rochester.



Topography? Well its not as mountainous as Colorado thats for sure. There are some more flat areas but its more west of Rochester.



The bedroom communities around Rochester should NOT be overlooked. Byron comes to mind...right on Highway 14 and just a short drive from Rochester.



I remember reading a few years ago about the Mayo Clinic sinking billions into the infrastructure and local budget. Thats Billions, not millions. This community is great...but its mainly due to it being a "medical destination" as HappyHappy001 said.


Good luck with your choice. I've been in MN for my whole life...and retire in 4 years. I'm moving away eventually...but I'd never tell people not to move here. Its actually a great state. Just be prepared to pay high taxes all around. This is my issue with the state. The taxes are getting out of hand (my personal opinion).

[CO_Rider]

I'm surprised you would not want to move to Grand Junction area. We moved there in 1993 from Rochester and later to Fruita, CO. We raised our family in Rochester where they continued to live. That meant making trips back to MN to visit etc. After 25 yrs and the fact the we are getting old we wanted to be closer to family so we moved back to Rochester in August of 2018. If our family had moved out to Western Colorado we would still be there.

We should have waited another year. This past winter was the most horrible I can remember and it still does not want to warm up like it should. The weather has changed since 25 years ago when we lived here.

Rochester has changed a lot too. Not the small town like it used to be but don't know of any other place in the state where we would rather be.
There is an influx of people moving here. Byron is growing too. Byron has a real estate tax that is double what Rochester has. Lot of new homes being constructed with lots of choices of where to live. Stay away from the SE part of the city.


Real estate tax here is double of what it was in Western CO. Groceries are much higher. Medical care was good in W. CO but with the Mayo Clinic here I think it is better.
GOOD LUCK.

[ekstrom34]

We rented there when we moved back to MN, and probably should have stayed there for our MN stint. Rochester is a great town, a bit hilly, Costco, Trader Joe's, plus the usual national chains; generally one of most things on the north side, one on the south. Snowy, yes. Coldish, yes, but warming. Of course, mosquitos, but not as bad as if you were actually on a lake. Very professional residents since a large group works either for Mayo or 3M, so food and ammenities are a notch higher all around. Someday, there will be a light rail up to Mpls-St Paul. If we were to ever move back to MN again, it would definitely be in Rochester or nearby.