United States › Virginia › Amherst CITY
Amherst Virginia · 2,146 residents (2025 est.) · 4.90 sq mi
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The short version
Amherst is a city of 1,865 people in Virginia. At a median age of 50.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 1% of locals were born outside the United States. 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Renters pay $718 a month at the median. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $220,700.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 50.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
26% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 2,251 in 2000
2,146 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
380 / sq mi
−22%since 2009
from 488 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 43.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
891 1K 2K 2K 3K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Amherst Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $70,841
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,000 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $18,457 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 18.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.475 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Education & health services 8.6%
Transportation & warehousing 8.4%
Public administration 4.2%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$220,700
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$718
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $358 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 65.0% in 2000
29.6% rent
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.03 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 24.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 41.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 5.3 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 68.3%(1,537)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 81.9%(1,528)
Hispanic / Latino 1.1%(20)
from 62 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 6 more ancestry groups with data from 19.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 74.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 5.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 86.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 12.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 57.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 71.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 20.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 30.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 60.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 76.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 76.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 94.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 4.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 52.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 29.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 15.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 67.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 41.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 42.2%(54)
Share of the 128 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Amherst, Virginia? Amherst, Virginia has about 1,865 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Amherst, Virginia? The typical household in Amherst, Virginia earns about $70,841 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Amherst, Virginia expensive? In Amherst, Virginia, the median home is worth about $220,700, and the typical rent is about $718 a month.
How educated are people in Amherst, Virginia? About 25.7% of adults age 25 and over in Amherst, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Amherst, Virginia? About 9.1% of people in Amherst, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.
Has Amherst, Virginia grown since 1990? Yes, Amherst, Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 805 residents, a change of about 76 percent over that period.
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