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Suburb
Buffalo

Amherst

  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • Suburb of Buffalo, NY
  • 157 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A+
  2. Crime & Safety
    B
  3. Housing
    A-
  4. Nightlife
    A
  5. Good for Families
    A+
  6. Diversity
    A-
  7. Jobs
    A-
  8. Weather
    C-
  9. Cost of Living
    B-
  10. Health & Fitness
    A
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A-
  12. Commute
    A-
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Amherst is a suburb of Buffalo with a population of 124,647. Amherst is in Erie County and is one of the best places to live in New York. Living in Amherst offers residents a suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Amherst there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals and retirees live in Amherst and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in Amherst are highly rated.
About Amherst...
Population
124,647

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$182,200
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$965
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    29%
  • Own
    71%
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View Places to Live Rankings

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
B
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    50
    283
  • Murder
    0
    6
  • Rape
    11
    41
  • Robbery
    42
    136
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    161
    500
  • Theft
    1,347
    2,043
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    34
    284
Home Security Options for Amherst
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A-
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Median Household Income
$71,105
National
$55,322
Children
15%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    28%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    26%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    24%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    17%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    5%
    13%
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges
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Amherst Reviews

157 reviews
All Categories
I’ve lived in Amherst all my life. I didn’t have a good school life at Smallwood, Amherst Middle and Amherst high, but I still graduated. Plenty of jobs are always hiring, plenty of nice/friendly people and I’ve never been robbed/assaulted before. I never want to move away. The winters can be extremely unforgiving but it also gives people side jobs of snow removal. Spring, summer and fall is always beautiful! We have beaches, festivals, concerts, etc all in nearby Buffalo (only a 15-20 minute drive away). Traffic can be bad, but most people are usually nice enough to let other cars through, letting most traffic flow smoothly. I will always love my town.
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Growing up in Amherst provided me a good education, stable work opportunities, and a safe environment. Returning here 10 years later, circumstances are a little different for me, I am a single mother, a returning college student, and also a server in the restaurant industry. All of these things are positive in area that is still safe, has growth for opportunities, with the opening of many new restaurants, I am able to continue my education at Erie Community College and then transfer to another school that is close to me. I have also up until recently been a traveler of public transportation. In many suburbs this is hard to come by or there are few and far between, the one thing that has made my transition back here easier is that there is public transportable that is easy and accessible. My son has been able to attend a pre-school program that has suited me financially, and will start to continue his education in the Amherst school district, which I look forward to.
It was a safe quiet neighborhood, being a student that does not have a car that also lives of campus I had to walk everywhere I went especially to and from the library as late as three o'clock in the morning, multiple times a week. However I never had a bad experience or feared for my safety. I think public transportation needs to be improved and expanded in Amherst especially because I know a lot of college students struggle to commute to class and one of the largest public is located right in its center.