Amherst, MA vs Northampton, MA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricAmherst, MANorthampton, MA
Population38,18230,962
Median Household Income$66,968$80,288
Median Rent$1,671/mo$1,439/mo
Median Home Value$484,900$429,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)100100
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income60.8%55%
Poverty Rate23.7%13.4%
Unemployment Rate4.7%3.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k140487
Property Crime Rate /100k2951,221
Median AQI3636
Good AQI Days /yr312312
Summer Highs81°F81°F
Winter Lows17°F17°F
Snowfall37 in/yr37 in/yr
Avg Commute18 min21.4 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—2.0 / 5
Students per Teacher10.110.2
College Degree Rate75.6%62.7%
Foreign-Born %16.1%7.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+4.2%+5.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.