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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Amherst Metro

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA · 1 counties · 162,308 residents · 527.236 sq mi
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The short version

Amherst is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $73,518. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 33%. Median home value has 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
Population, 1990 – 2024
145K150K154K159K164K1990201020202024Amherst
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
Afford Score
3.9
−11%since 2009
from 4.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Amherst on RentDataNow
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)
RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Polish population · Largest French population · Largest Italian population
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%
Management & professional
48.4%
−21.6 ptssince 2009
from 70.0% 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%
−94.4 ptssince 2013
from 96.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
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
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 →