Amherst Town, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Amherst Town, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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F
Income Well below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Amherst Town | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,191 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1376.0 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.27% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 21.0 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,704 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Amherst Town grew by 6.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 38,191 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Amherst Town is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 64.7% of residents. That is 43.2 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 24,724 64.7% +43.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,519 9.2% -12.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,624 9.5% -11.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,309 8.7% -8.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.6% of the people living in Amherst Town and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 48.4% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Amherst Town has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Amherst Town | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,751 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.29% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Amherst Town is about 34% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Amherst Town | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $450,000 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,670 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 44.2% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Amherst Town is about 22.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,670 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Amherst Town spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Amherst Town | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.2 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.4 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,931 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 21.0% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,374 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Amherst Town is 15 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Amherst Town has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Amherst Town | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Amherst Town has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Amherst Town | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.3 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.2% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Amherst Town, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Amherst Town, MA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town, MA | 38,191 | $68,751 #2/2 | $450,000 #1/2 | 15.2 min #1/2 |
| Northampton, MA | 30,986 | $81,289 | $427,564 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Amherst Town, Massachusetts.
How big is Amherst Town, Massachusetts by population?
About 38,191 people live in Amherst Town, Massachusetts, in 9,704 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 21.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
How densely populated is Amherst Town, Massachusetts?
Averaged over its land area, Amherst Town, Massachusetts has 1,376 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 16 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Amherst Town, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.5 times the median household income ($450,000 against $68,751), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,670 a month takes about 29% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Amherst Town, Massachusetts?
Unemployment in Amherst Town, Massachusetts is 7.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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