Amherst County, Virginia Housing Market Prices
Amherst County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
-
Median home price 32% above the Virginia median More expensive than 73% of counties in Virginia$337,931
-
Median rent 45% below the Virginia median Cheaper than 73% of counties in Virginia$871
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $337,931 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 38.9% | 3.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $871 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 2.9% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Amherst County is about 32% higher than in Virginia. Rent is about 45% lower than the Virginia average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Amherst County, up about 38.9% and 2.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Amherst County rose about 28.3% between 2015 and 2024, from $679 to $871. Over the same span, rent in Virginia rose about 41.5%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.0 yearly household incomes in Amherst County.
Buying the median-priced home in Amherst County costs roughly 32.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Amherst County. The price-to-rent ratio in Virginia is about 13.5.
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $337,931 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $67,755 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.0 | 2.7 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Amherst County rose about 279.3%, while median household income rose about 41.3% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 71.4% | 61.5% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 16.9% | 29.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 11.6% | 8.7% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 | 2011 |
Amherst County has a homeownership rate of 71.4%, higher than the Virginia average of 61.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 11.6%, compared with 8.7% in Virginia.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.40 people | 2.52 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1974 | 1982 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Amherst County was built around 1974. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Amherst County, VA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
How Amherst County, VA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst County, VA | 31,478 | $337,931 #2/2 | $871 #2/2 | 80.8% #1/2 |
| Nelson County, VA | 14,732 | $508,246 | $946 | 79.7% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Amherst County, Virginia.
What is the median home price in Amherst County, Virginia?
The median home price in Amherst County, Virginia is $337,931, higher than the Virginia average of $256,082.
What is the average home price in Amherst County, Virginia?
The typical home price in Amherst County, Virginia, reported as the median sale price, is $337,931. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Amherst County, Virginia?
The median gross rent in Amherst County, Virginia is $871 per month, lower than the Virginia average of $1,579.
What was the median gross rent in Amherst County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Amherst County, Virginia was $699 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Amherst County, Virginia?
The price-to-rent ratio in Amherst County, Virginia is about 32.3, meaning it would take roughly 32.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Amherst County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Amherst County, Virginia?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Amherst County, up about 38.9% and 2.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Amherst County, Virginia?
71.4% of households in Amherst County, Virginia own their home, higher than the Virginia average of 61.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in Amherst County, Virginia?
The housing vacancy rate in Amherst County, Virginia is 11.6%, higher than the Virginia average of 8.7%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →