United States › Virginia › Amherst CITY · 2020 ACS
Amherst Virginia · 2,110 residents · 4.90 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Amherst is a city of 2,110 people in Virginia. At a median age of 48.7, this is an older place than the country as a whole. The foreign-born share is 2%. Renters pay $590 a month at the median. 77% were living in the same home a year earlier. Households here earn about 22% less than in Virginia as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 48.7
US median: 38.8
Average education
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 43.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
891 1K 2K 2K 3K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Amherst Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $59,516
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,000 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $18,457 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 18.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Transportation & warehousing 2.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 2.5%
Professional, scientific, technical 1.8%
Public administration 0.9%
Education & health services 0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0%
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$180,600
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$590
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $358 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 65.0% in 2000
35.2% rent
from 2.03 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
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.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 68.3%(1,537)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 67.5%(1,425)
Hispanic / Latino 3.8%(80)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 4 more ancestry groups with data from 19.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 74.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 5.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 86.5% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 57.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 30.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 35.9%(61)
Share of the 170 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
Places similar to Amherst Head to head
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Amherst, Virginia? Amherst, Virginia has about 2,110 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Amherst, Virginia? The typical household in Amherst, Virginia earns about $59,516 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 $180,600, and the typical rent is about $590 a month.
How educated are people in Amherst, Virginia? About 28.9% 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 6.8% 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 1,050 residents, a change of about 99 percent over that period.
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