Rochester has much less snow than Buffalo even though it's very close by (seriously, the bands of snow are very predictable and very intense depending on exactly where you are around the lakes). Economy is not bad here. Not great but not bad. It seems to avoid the hits and misses of the greater national economy but I think it's better than in Buffalo.
Taxes here suck, property taxes the most. But cost of living overall is not that terrible because, for one thing, houses for example are very cheap...at least cost of housing is not as terrible as it could seem. $200k buys you a really nice house in Rochester or Buffalo with a good school (at least in Rochester suburbs). Try that in the south, you'd need $300k+ so your mortgage payments will be the same.
Summer in the south is bullsh*t. Spring/fall/summer in Western NY are beautiful. Winter can be hard but isn't terribly long and it's no Alaska.
I spent five years in Alabama and much prefer Rochester. I think it's a healthier environment. People actually get outside; there are sidewalks, the roads are not as filthy, you can bike easier, there are things to go and see. There are actual parks. Traffic is MUCH better so you are not stuck in the car two hours/day.
I do think overall NY has some serious problems to face. Its government is insatiable and growing too fast. Population here is flat because employers are not setting up shop here. The taxes are too high, the public benefits too expensive. The state's government fiscal situation is a nightmare.
If you want a REAL idea of how long the Winter is, at least in Rochester you may get one-two snows in November and they are not likely to stick around. In terms of when I snow blow the driveway, rarely in November, and then a few times each month and then again nothing in April and sometime that month the last bits of snow hanging around in huge piles in parking lots dissipate. I probably snow blowed 12 times last year. The year before only four. Even in the winter you'll get enough warm stretches that you'll frequently see your lawn. It only gets into the single digits for temp several days/year. Since I've been here four years it's hit 0 I think or negative only a couple of times.
This place is also closer to things. Buffalo in particular is close to Toronto and a half day's drive to a lot of major cities in the US.
I BS your BS. Actual viable, legitimate, enjoyable summer lasts 2-3 weeks tops. The remainder of the "summer season" is generally wet, windy, or cold. Real summer in upstate NY is actually late spring for the most part. Then it drops off quickly.
That's ridiculous. You are insane. This is common among people who leave NY. I've noticed they lament it as much as possible to help cement their decision. I put some vegetables in the ground this year in mid May because that's when the days are consistently in the mid 50's. The last frost is around end of April. First maybe end of September, but a frost at night hardly means winter is coming along. A few years ago I was biking every night outside happily from May up into September without anything but shirt/shorts. This year I'll probably bike commute into October.
Mosh is right summer in a strong mode is a solid three months with a very calming spring and fall. It's easily shorts weather and t shirt for months. My AC I had on the first day in May at the latest and it's kicked in every single day since, in some cases on all day as we get a lot of days in the 80's, sometimes into the 90's (though not many).
I've lived in Eastern Canada and in the south and in Rochester and overall the weather is my favorite here. Some people love heat and they'll do better in the south. I don't much love it. I like it and I hate being cold but as pizza said it's easier to dress up, and you won't have to dress up in Western NY for at least three months (i.e. shorts + t shirt), and have plenty of hot days outside that window. The summer here is gorgeous, I don't care what anybody says. It is a nice temp and the scenery out here is fantastic. I frequently will drive around my area (suburb but unlike most fast-growth cities in the US it's heavily dotted with farms, in many cases legally mandated to stay as one, too) and marvel at how much more like a postcard it looks than, say, the interstate in Birmingham, AL.
I do think Buffalo is worse off than Rochester for economy. To be honest with you we like Rochester but I'd also consider pennslyvania and new hampshire. The weather there is nice and I think the economies may be better (you'd have to check).
Best weather in the country is in parts of California, but too expensive.
FYI when we moved from AL we considered Buffalo, Rochester, and Portland,Maine. Decided Rochester was best (key reason being its economy over Buffalo) and that was that.