What it's like to live in Amherst
Amherst is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Amherst deals with larger class sizes than the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 47" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Amherst compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Amherst
Based on Amherst's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,812
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,240 a year
- 51% of Amherst renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,920
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 36% below US
$906/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $906 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $239,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $239,200 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lorain County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lorain County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 81% below US
61 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 922/100k · Amherst Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 13% below US
31% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 31% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial (35 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Amherst's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin and cold winters. A year of median rent ($906/mo) equals 12% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Amherst
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