• Ranked 5th for "Overall Innovation Capacity" upon the basis of 1. Jobs in high-tech industries 2. Degrees granted in science and engineering 3. Number of patents 4. Academic research and development funding 5. Venture capital invested. Metropolitan New Economy Index: Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the Nation's Metropolitan Areas, 2001

• Ranked 1st for Utility Patents Issued to Companies or Individuals per 1,000 Workers. Rochester boasts 2.33 patents per 1,000 workers - the U.S. average is only 0.40 patents per 1,000 workers. Metropolitan New Economy Index: Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the Nation's Metropolitan Area, 2001

• Brookings Institute recognized Rochester as the 18th strongest performing city for keeping labor and housing markets stables and posting strong economic activity over the last few years. (June 2010)