Population 22,731 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Amherst Center
Household size in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.77 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.87 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.25 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.48 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Amherst Center is a place of small households, averaging 2.25 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 1.77, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the southeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 21.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 23.3 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 24.5 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.5 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Amherst Center is young: half of its residents are under 24.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults in their twenties. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 24.0, a smaller shift than nationally. Amherst Center has the youngest population of any Massachusetts city with 5,000+ people.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.4% of households in Amherst Center, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Amherst Center
Renters in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 60.6% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 59.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 62.7% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Amherst Center rent: 62.7% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. About four in ten owners (39.9%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has risen 4.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.2% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +14.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 24.7% of the housing in Amherst Center, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 14.0 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Amherst Center is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Even so, homes here are newer than in Massachusetts as a whole, where the median home dates to 1963. The median year built has moved up from 1957 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the east.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $754 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $903 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,257 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,234 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,479 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Amherst Center runs $2,234 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,479 a month from 2006–10, a 196% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 42.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the north; the most affordable are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Amherst Center
Bachelor's degrees in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.6% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 54.9% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.7% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 54.3% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Amherst Center is highly educated: more than half of adults 25 and older (54.3%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 4.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.3% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.8% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.1% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.5% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Amherst Center: 98.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 16 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Amherst Center
| Period | Amherst Center | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.0% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Amherst Center runs well above the national rate: 12.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. No other Massachusetts city with 5,000+ people has higher unemployment. Unemployment is down 2.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Amherst Center compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Center | 2.25 | 24.5 | 7.4% | 62.7% | 24.7% | 1970 | $2,234 | 54.3% | 98.5% | 12.9% |
| Amherst | 2.50 | 32.6 | 6.5% | 53.4% | 12.4% | 1977 | $1,741 | 75.3% | 96.6% | 3.2% |
| Hadley | 2.41 | 44.0 | 6.4% | 25.4% | 5.9% | 1971 | $1,596 | 64.8% | 97.5% | 4.2% |
| Factory Hollow | 2.35 | 46.1 | 6.3% | 29.3% | 6.4% | 1977 | $1,393 | 69.9% | 95.0% | 4.9% |
| West Pelham | 2.49 | 45.0 | 6.2% | 20.9% | 8.8% | 1958 | $1,205 | 64.8% | 98.5% | 6.6% |
| South Amherst | 2.26 | 56.1 | 3.7% | 20.5% | 10.8% | 1977 | $2,963 | 81.8% | 98.7% | 3.8% |
| Hatfield | 2.32 | 49.7 | 8.7% | 22.4% | 3.9% | 1963 | $1,237 | 49.1% | 93.5% | 1.4% |
| Sunderland | 2.20 | 36.6 | 5.0% | 54.1% | 5.5% | 1980 | $1,571 | 64.0% | 96.6% | 5.1% |
| Pelham | 2.50 | 46.5 | 6.6% | 17.3% | 9.6% | 1964 | $1,355 | 66.3% | 98.4% | 6.4% |
| Leverett | 2.30 | 51.8 | 3.5% | 16.8% | 11.5% | 1974 | $1,456 | 68.4% | 94.8% | 8.7% |
| West Hatfield | 2.21 | 42.9 | 21.1% | 34.4% | 6.0% | 1973 | $1,373 | 50.7% | 97.2% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Crescent City, CA · Bastrop, TX · Troy, AL · Bonaire, GA · Broadview Heights, OH · Cameron, NC · Louisville, CO · Leesburg, GA · Hammonton, NJ · Absecon, NJ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Amherst Center. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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