The National Association of Realtors says the housing market in the Rochester area is nearly as tough for buyers as it is in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco.
Home prices aren't nearly as high as they are out west, but a very low housing inventory is making shopping for a home difficult.
The rankings are based on the number of homes listed for sale per 1,000 households. That number is just four in San Jose, California, and just over 6 in Buffalo and 7 in Rochester.
In Rochester, the number of active January listings fell 21 percent in the last year and the median listing price rose 15 percent.