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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Amherst Metro

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA · 1 counties · 162,308 residents · 527 sq mi
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The short version

Amherst is a metro area of 162,308 people. 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 33% nationally. 79% were living in the same home a year earlier. Headcount has barely moved since 2000. Median household income runs $73,518, well clear of the $66,278 US median. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $289,300.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 38.3
US median: 38.8
More educated
49% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 35%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
162,308
+7%since 2000
from 152,251 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
308 / sq mi
+7%since 2000
from 289 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
38.3
+11%since 2000
from 34.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
527 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
145K150K154K159K164K19902000201020202024Amherst
2024162K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 53.3%(5,417)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94%(6,438)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 144.5%(7,249)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 1910.7%(17,376)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2413%(21,167)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411%(17,836)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4410.1%(16,402)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.9%(17,768)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.5%(21,988)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411.8%(19,192)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845%(8,133)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(3,342)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$73,518
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,098 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,600
+69%since 2000
from $21,685 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
49.1%
+10.8 ptssince 2009
from 38.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 9.4% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information9.6%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade7.5%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade5%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services4.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance2.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$289,300
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $142,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,095
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $631 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
65.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 65.0% in 2000
34.5% rent
Persons per household
2.31 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.30 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.9
−11%since 2009
from 4.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
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-Hispanic89.5%(136,319)
Black1.8%(2,740)
Hispanic / Latino3.4%(5,212)
Asian3.4%(5,158)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic78.6%(127,578)
Black2.7%(4,360)
Hispanic / Latino7.2%(11,622)
Asian6.6%(10,740)
Other3.4%(5,565)
Segregation Score
35
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican2.5%(4,087)
South American0.8%(1,366)
Mexican0.8%(1,211)
Dominican0.4%(576)
Ecuadorian0.3%(557)
Salvadoran0.3%(470)
Colombian0.2%(371)
Spaniard0.2%(305)
Cuban0.2%(272)
Honduran0.1%(120)
Argentine0.1%(118)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(118)
Guatemalan0.1%(97)
Chilean0%(51)
Bolivian0%(15)
Uruguayan0%(14)
Asian origin
Chinese2.2%(3,483)
Asian Indian1.2%(1,911)
Korean0.4%(649)
Vietnamese0.4%(591)
Cambodian0.2%(352)
Filipino0.2%(264)
Japanese0.1%(177)
Sri Lankan0.1%(160)
Pakistani0.1%(156)
Thai0.1%(136)
Laotian0.1%(128)
Taiwanese0%(36)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(17)
Chamorro0%(13)
Ancestry
Irish18.1%(29,174)
English12.5%(20,106)
Polish11.1%(17,852)
French10.1%(16,268)
Italian9.3%(15,061)
German8.9%(14,362)
French Canadian5.7%(9,117)
American4.7%(7,534)
Scottish2.7%(4,290)
Russian1.7%(2,770)
Portuguese1.3%(2,125)
Swedish1.3%(2,042)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Lithuanian1.2%(1,906)
British0.8%(1,345)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(1,260)
Welsh0.8%(1,248)
Dutch0.7%(1,147)
Norwegian0.6%(1,010)
Ukrainian0.6%(959)
Greek0.5%(879)
Danish0.5%(794)
Hungarian0.5%(758)
Czech0.5%(753)
Finnish0.4%(655)
Canadian0.4%(653)
Cape Verdean0.4%(618)
Brazilian0.4%(610)
West Indian0.4%(585)
Austrian0.3%(563)
Swiss0.3%(416)
Slovak0.2%(374)
Lebanese0.2%(256)
Romanian0.2%(247)
Armenian0.1%(233)
Turkish0.1%(210)
Haitian0.1%(200)
Belgian0.1%(197)
Nigerian0.1%(184)
Jamaican0.1%(184)
Iranian0.1%(182)
Israeli0.1%(141)
Syrian0.1%(121)
Egyptian0.1%(116)
Croatian0.1%(86)
Kenyan0%(67)
Serbian0%(61)
Ethiopian0%(60)
Moroccan0%(43)
Slovene0%(41)
Guyanese0%(40)
Barbadian0%(39)
Ghanaian0%(38)
Latvian0%(24)
Arab0%(16)
Bulgarian0%(10)
Iraqi0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.9%
+11.0 ptssince 2000
from 37.9% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
95.1%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 89.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
24.6%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 18.6% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.8 min
+61%since 2000
from 14.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
70.1%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 73.4% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
7.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
63.1%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 66.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
48.4%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 42.2% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
46.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 47.0% in 2009
Female
53.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 53.0% in 2009
Foreign born
8.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
2.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2013
from 3.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
94.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
78.8%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married45.1%(29,868)
Married44.1%(29,179)
Widowed1.9%(1,272)
Divorced8.8%(5,836)
Women 15+
Never married43.9%(34,103)
Married38.6%(30,018)
Widowed7%(5,460)
Divorced10.4%(8,092)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2013
from 3.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
67.2%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
16.7%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
18.2%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
16.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.0%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
80.9%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
31.7%
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)15.2%(1,201)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)18.3%(1,450)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era38.9%(3,087)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.2%(650)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.2%(331)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 7,926 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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro

Largest cities

AmherstCENTRAL40,920NorthamptonCENTRAL31,047Ware6,369Belchertown2,355Hatfield1,449Granby1,152Huntington892
What's inside

1 component county

Hampshire CountyCENTRAL164,065
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Amherst

East Stroudsburg
Pop 167,179
Kingston
Pop 183,330
Kenosha
Pop 168,448
Logan
Pop 160,889
Places similar to Amherst
Head to head

Compare Amherst side by side

AMHERST VS
East Stroudsburg
Income$83,565+14%
Home value$267,600−8%
Population167,179+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
AMHERST VS
Kingston
Income$86,271+17%
Home value$352,500+22%
Population183,330+12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
AMHERST VS
Kenosha
Income$81,239+11%
Home value$265,500−8%
Population168,448+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
AMHERST VS
Logan
Income$80,722+10%
Home value$437,430+51%
Population160,889−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA has about 162,308 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The typical household in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA earns about $73,518 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Amherst Town-Northampton, MA expensive?

In Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, the median home is worth about $289,300, and the typical rent is about $1,095 a month.

How educated are people in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

About 48.9% of adults age 25 and over in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

About 10.6% of people in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Amherst Town-Northampton, MA grown since 1990?

Yes, Amherst Town-Northampton, MA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 15,740 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →