Amherst, MA vs Springfield, MA

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

MetricAmherst, MASpringfield, MA
Population38,182154,749
Median Household Income$66,968$52,656
Median Rent$1,671/mo$1,144/mo
Median Home Value$484,900$245,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)10096
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income60.8%53.6%
Poverty Rate23.7%25.8%
Unemployment Rate4.7%6.9%
Violent Crime Rate /100k140871
Property Crime Rate /100k2952,468
Median AQI3639
Good AQI Days /yr312281
Summer Highs81°F83°F
Winter Lows17°F18°F
Snowfall37 in/yr52 in/yr
Avg Commute18 min20.2 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—2.0 / 5
Students per Teacher10.111.1
College Degree Rate75.6%20.5%
Foreign-Born %16.1%10.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+4.2%-0.8%

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