Rochester, MN Housing Market 2026: Prices, Mayo Clinic Timing, and What Sellers Should Know

The Rochester, MN housing market 2026 picture has two sides. Prices are still climbing, faster than in Minneapolis or St. Paul. But listings piled up this summer, and buyers now have far more houses to choose from.

This guide reads each source on its own, with its month, so you can do your own math. Rochester, MN is the Olmsted County seat and Minnesota's third-largest city, with 124,292 people (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025).

What is the Rochester, MN housing market doing in 2026?

The Rochester, MN housing market is still rising in price in 2026, but it has turned toward buyers, with far more listings and slower county sales than a year ago.

Each source below sits in its own row. They measure different things (typical values, closed sales, asking prices), so never add or average them.

Rochester, MN by the numbers, 2026

City sales prices are still up, and closed sales held nearly flat (Southeast Minnesota REALTORS, August 2026). The change is supply. Countywide, closed sales fell and supply reached 3.8 months (Minnesota REALTORS, August 2026).

Asking prices are softer. Olmsted County listings with a price cut reached 228, up from 218 in July (Realtor.com via FRED, August 2026). Borrowing also costs more. The 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.95% for the week of September 17, 2026, up from 6.26% a year earlier (Freddie Mac PMMS, September 2026).

Rochester Minnesota home prices by ZIP code

Rochester Minnesota home prices on Zillow's index run from $292,438 in 55904 to $472,775 in 55902, and every city ZIP rose 3.1% to 3.9% in the year to August 2026.

On Zillow's numbers, 55902 sits about 62% above 55904 (Zillow ZHVI, August 2026). Pill Hill, the historic neighborhood southwest of the Mayo campus, is in 55902. ZIP 55905 is Mayo Clinic's campus ZIP, and the Census Bureau counts no residents there (Census Reporter, 2020 Census geography). Streets cross ZIP lines, so confirm a ZIP by address. Byron, Stewartville, and township acreage are not Rochester, MN city.

How does Rochester, MN compare with Minneapolis and St. Paul?

Rochester, MN is priced above both Twin Cities: Zillow's typical value is about 4% above Minneapolis and 16% above St. Paul (Zillow ZHVI, August 2026).

Minneapolis sits at $328,529 and St. Paul at $294,297 on the same index. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro, at $388,865, is still about 12% above Rochester, MN. Our Minneapolis housing market 2026 guide covers the other side of that comparison.

Growth explains the gap. Rochester, MN values rose 3.7% in the year to August, while Minneapolis rose 0.6% and St. Paul 0.8%. Since January 2020, the Rochester, MN typical value is up about 40%.

The pace has slowed, though: Zillow's series rose 0.4% from March to August 2026. Zillow's own forecast has the Rochester, MN metro gaining 2.0% by August 2027 (Zillow forecast, August 2026). That is a projection, not a measured result.

How long does it take to sell a house in Rochester, MN?

Olmsted County houses took a median of 42 days on market until sale in August 2026, down from 43 a year earlier (Minnesota REALTORS, August 2026).

Other sources count days differently, so the number depends on the definition:

• Minnesota REALTORS, Olmsted County: 42 days on market until sale (August 2026).
• Realtor.com via FRED, Olmsted County: 57 days, the median age of active listings, flat year over year (August 2026).
• Redfin via Stacker, Rochester, MN metro: 34.1 days, an average of monthly medians from January to June 2026, up 5.0 days (August 2026).

None of these counts the closing, where a financed buyer's appraisal and underwriting add more time. Season matters too. Across the Southeast Minnesota REALTORS region, days on market were 71 in January 2026 and 38 in June (Southeast Minnesota REALTORS, August 2026).

Mayo Clinic timing and the summer turnover

Mayo Clinic's training calendar concentrates Rochester, MN moves between mid-June and August 1.

Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education holds Minnesota orientations on June 17, July 1, and July 23, 2026. The last group, for fellows, starts August 1 (Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, September 2026). It brings in more than 400 new residents and fellows each year.

For a seller, that timing cuts both ways. Summer brings buyers who need a house by a start date. It also brings sellers who must leave by one, into a city with 51% more listings than a year ago (Southeast Minnesota REALTORS, August 2026).

The “Bold. Forward. Unbound.” expansion

Mayo's “Bold. Forward. Unbound.” plan is an investment of about $5 billion, with two new hospital buildings due in 2030 (HUD, January 2026). HUD expects it to contribute about 4,000 jobs from 2026 to 2028. All five major building sites were under construction in early 2026 (Post Bulletin, January 2026). No source we found measures its effect on house prices.

Destination Medical Center

Destination Medical Center (DMC) describes itself as a 20-year, $5.6 billion economic development initiative (DMC, September 2026). State law sets up its district (Minn. Stat. § 469.40). DMC reports a 100% increase in downtown housing in its first ten years (DMC, September 2026). HUD counts 14% of the city's rental construction since 2015 inside the DMC district (HUD, January 2026). No study we found ties DMC to nearby house values.

What HUD expects for Rochester, MN housing demand

HUD calls the Rochester, MN metro sales market “slightly tight but easing” and expects demand for 1,625 new for-sale units over the three years to January 2029 (HUD Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis, January 2026).

Builders had 240 of those units under construction. HUD also expects demand for 1,850 rental units, with 370 underway.

New construction competes with many resale houses. HUD puts the 2025 average new-construction price at $619,000, up 13%. A financed buyer with that budget may choose new over a dated house.

The jobs number comes with a caveat

HUD estimated 133,600 metro jobs in 2025, up 5.4%, using data from before the annual BLS revision. The Bureau of Labor Statistics now shows 129,700 metro jobs in August 2026, unchanged from August 2025 (BLS, August 2026). The two series do not line up, so read any claim of fast job growth with care.

Costs and local rules that touch a sale

Rochester, MN adds few local steps to a sale: the deed tax is 0.33%, the City lists no point-of-sale inspection, and rentals and radon are the two items to plan for.

Deed tax and property taxes

Minnesota's deed tax is 0.33% of the net sale price above $3,000 (Minn. Stat. § 287.21). Hennepin and Ramsey counties add another 0.01%, and Olmsted County has no add-on. Illustrative only: on a $342,187 sale, the deed tax is about $1,129. The purchase agreement sets who pays it.

The city's rate for taxes payable 2026 is 50.39% of tax capacity, down from 51.24% (City of Rochester, MN, December 2025). The city estimates that a median-value house of $304,100 pays about $3,255 in total property tax for 2026.

Point-of-sale inspection: the City lists none

The City of Rochester, MN lists no point-of-sale inspection. Its Housing Code chapters run from administration to rental registration, with no sale-inspection chapter (City of Rochester, MN, September 2026). Minneapolis and St. Paul, by contrast, run Truth in Sale of Housing programs.

Rental certificates transfer within 30 days

Anyone renting out a Rochester, MN house needs a Rental Housing Certificate, and renting without one is a misdemeanor. On a sale, the city's rental FAQ is direct: “Rental certificates must be transferred within 30 days of a property being sold” (City of Rochester, MN, September 2026).

Radon

Nearly half (48.6%) of Olmsted County properties tested from 2010 to 2020 read at or above 4 pCi/L, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH, via Post Bulletin, January 2024). MDH recommends mitigation at that level (MDH, September 2026). Minnesota sellers must disclose in writing what they know about radon before signing (Minn. Stat. § 144.496).

Listing or a cash sale: which fits your house?

A clean, updated house with time to sell often does best listed with an agent. A cash sale can fit better when the house needs work, has tenants, or faces a fixed move date.

When listing fits

Olmsted County sellers still received 97.2% of original list price in August (Minnesota REALTORS, August 2026). If your house shows well and you can wait through six weeks or more on market, listing may net you more. If a cash sale isn't your best move, Propcash will tell you and point you to a local agent who fits. We may receive compensation from agents we refer.

When a cash sale fits

Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer that buys houses as a principal. We make one transparent, data-backed cash offer on the house as it stands, and we show how we got to the number. The offer stands while you compare it.

Propcash charges no fees or commissions, and you pick the closing date. We buy with tenants in place, with no eviction needed. A Minnesota title company handles the closing, which can happen in as few as 7 days.

You can sell your house fast in Rochester, MN or get a cash offer in about two minutes. If the roof is the sticking point, see selling a Minnesota house with hail damage. Heirs should read selling an inherited house in Minnesota, and our Minnesota overview covers the rest of the state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Rochester Minnesota home prices in 2026?

Rochester Minnesota home prices in 2026 depend on the source. Zillow's typical value for Rochester, MN city was $342,187 in August 2026, up 3.7%. Southeast Minnesota REALTORS reported a year-to-date city median sales price of $359,450, up 2.7%. Minnesota REALTORS put the August Olmsted County median at $352,500.

Is the Rochester, MN housing market slowing down?

Prices are still rising in Rochester, MN, but sales have slowed and supply has grown. The city had 527 houses for sale in August 2026, up 51%, according to Southeast Minnesota REALTORS. Olmsted County closed sales fell 12.4% in August, and Realtor.com's median asking price in the county fell 11.1%.

How long does it take to sell a house in Rochester, MN?

Olmsted County houses spent a median of 42 days on market until sale in August 2026, according to Minnesota REALTORS. Realtor.com's median listing age in the county was 57 days. A financed sale then adds lender time before closing, while a direct cash sale to Propcash can close in as few as 7 days.

When do Mayo Clinic residents and fellows start in Rochester, MN?

Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education holds its 2026 Minnesota orientations on June 17, July 1, and July 23, with the last group of fellows starting August 1. More than 400 new residents and fellows arrive each year. The 2027 dates are June 17, July 8, and July 23, so the relocation window runs from mid-June into August.

What is the deed tax on a house sale in Rochester, MN?

Minnesota's deed tax is 0.33% of the net sale price under Minn. Stat. § 287.21, with no Olmsted County add-on. Illustrative only: a $342,187 sale in Rochester, MN carries about $1,129 in deed tax. The purchase agreement decides who pays it.

Does Rochester, MN require a point-of-sale inspection?

The City of Rochester, MN lists none. Its Housing Code has no time-of-sale inspection chapter like the Truth in Sale of Housing programs in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Rentals still need a Rental Housing Certificate, which must be transferred within 30 days of a sale.