Population 4,896 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South Amherst
Household size in South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.32 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.67 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.67 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.50 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.24 | +0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in South Amherst has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across Amherst. Household size has climbed from 2.32 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 35.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.6 | 33.3 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.1 | 32.7 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.5 | 32.6 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | −2.5 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of South Amherst is 42.5 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the southeast.
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 South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 11.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 9.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 13.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 6.5% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −4.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in South Amherst (10.1%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Even so, single parents are more common here than in Amherst as a whole (6.5%).
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 South Amherst
Renters in South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3% | 50.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 45.7% | 54.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.6% | 52.0% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.1% | 53.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in South Amherst rent their homes (36.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in Amherst overall (53.4%). Among homeowners, 53.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northwest and least common in the northeast.
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 South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 5.9% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 7.2% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 10.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 12.4% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +6.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in South Amherst as nationally: 10.7%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Amherst as a whole (12.4%).
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 South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1973 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1974 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1975 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1977 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in South Amherst leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Amherst. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the northeast.
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 South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,339 | $1,022 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,183 | $1,110 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,443 | $1,472 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,107 | $1,741 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$768 | +$719 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in South Amherst runs $2,107 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 32.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 South Amherst
Bachelor's degrees in South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.2% | 64.5% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 69.2% | 68.2% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 61.6% | 65.8% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 76.4% | 75.3% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +10.8 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in South Amherst: 76.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the northwest.
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 South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.1% | 95.3% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.4% | 94.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.5% | 96.0% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.8% | 96.6% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +1.3 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in South Amherst: 96.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Amherst as a whole looks much the same.
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 South Amherst
| Period | South Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.4% | 7.9% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 7.1% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.5% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.1% | 3.2% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −4.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in South Amherst has been strong: just 2.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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).
South Amherst compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Amherst | 2.56 | 42.5 | 10.1% | 36.1% | 10.7% | 1973 | $2,107 | 76.4% | 96.8% | 2.1% |
| East Village | 2.27 | 37.0 | 4.4% | 43.0% | 16.0% | 1979 | $1,629 | 81.7% | 98.2% | 4.6% |
| North Amherst | 2.65 | 25.2 | 6.3% | 69.9% | 13.7% | 1979 | $1,778 | 76.2% | 96.7% | 2.6% |
| East Springfield | 2.57 | 40.9 | 19.9% | 23.4% | 3.7% | 1952 | $1,266 | 16.3% | 86.8% | 3.9% |
| Boston Road | 2.49 | 40.0 | 13.8% | 33.6% | 14.4% | 1966 | $1,304 | 14.3% | 83.3% | 5.5% |
| Pine Point | 2.82 | 37.1 | 25.4% | 36.7% | 6.8% | 1951 | $1,487 | 21.5% | 82.3% | 7.6% |
| Liberty Heights | 2.83 | 33.5 | 25.1% | 51.6% | 10.8% | 1947 | $1,225 | 18.9% | 79.4% | 11.3% |
| Bay | 2.94 | 27.2 | 32.2% | 64.5% | 15.1% | 1943 | $1,089 | 13.1% | 70.5% | 8.5% |
| McKnight | 3.00 | 35.0 | 27.3% | 56.2% | 10.9% | 1938 | $981 | 13.2% | 72.2% | 12.1% |
| Sixteen Acres | 2.51 | 38.8 | 16.7% | 23.8% | 3.8% | 1964 | $1,333 | 33.4% | 91.2% | 5.0% |
| Upper Hill | 2.83 | 31.6 | 27.8% | 57.7% | 17.6% | 1945 | $1,314 | 25.2% | 82.5% | 8.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Kranz Woods, Detroit, MI · South San Gabriel, Rosemead, CA · South Fountain Avenue Historic District, Springfield, OH · South Akron, Akron, OH · Side Hill, Fort Collins, CO · Sheraden, Pittsburgh, PA · Sandalfoot Cove, Boca Raton, FL · San Miguel, Sunnyvale, CA · Saint Edwards, Austin, TX · Saint Claire-Superior, Cleveland, OH
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 South Amherst. 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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