Amherst, VA

Census Place

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2023 Population

2,124

7.61% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

44.6

12.7% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

6.5%

6.1% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$71,313

20.2% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$213,300

11.7% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

997

4.51% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Amherst, VA had a population of 2.12k people with a median age of 44.6 and a median household income of $71,313. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Amherst, VA declined from 2,299 to 2,124, a −7.61% decrease and its median household income grew from $59,306 to $71,313, a 20.2% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Amherst, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (83.2%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (14.4%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (0.847%), White (Hispanic) (0.471%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.471%).

None of the households in Amherst, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.7% of the residents in Amherst, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Amherst, VA was $213,300, and the homeownership rate was 69.9%.

Most people in Amherst, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Amherst, VA was 3 cars per household.

United States Virginia Amherst County, VA Lynchburg, VA Virginia's Region 2000 (North)--Bedford, Amherst, Appomattox Counties & Bedford City PUMA, VA

Population & Diversity

Amherst, VA is home to a population of 2.12k people, from which 99.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 0.282% of Amherst, VA residents were born outside of the country (6 people).

In 2023, there were 5.77 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.77k people) in Amherst, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 306 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 18 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.7%

2023 Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.7% of Amherst, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Amherst, VA was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Amherst, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Amherst, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.77k ± 337
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
306 ± 121
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
18 ± 25.6

0.942%

Hispanic Population

20 people

0.942% of the people in Amherst, VA are hispanic (20 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Amherst, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,605 ± 8,003 people
India
98,735 ± 7,670 people
Mexico
59,855 ± 5,986 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,605 Virginia residents, followed by India with 98,735 and Mexico with 59,855.

Foreign-Born Population

0.282%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6 people

0.913%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

21 people

As of 2023, 0.282% of Amherst, VA residents (6 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Amherst, VA was 0.913%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Amherst, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
47 ± 42
Vietnam
45 ± 42
Korea
12 ± 20

Amherst, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.04 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Amherst, VA employs 997 people. The largest industries in Amherst, VA are Health Care & Social Assistance (204 people), Retail Trade (110 people), and Manufacturing (90 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($91,085), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($90,478), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($88,462).

Males in Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $69,674. The income inequality in Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.475, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

997

2023 Value

± 224

4.51%

1 Year growth

± 29.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Amherst, VA grew at a rate of 4.51%, from 954 employees to 997 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Amherst, VA, are Production Occupations (171 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (96 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (76 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Amherst, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

997

2023 Value

± 224

4.51%

1 Year growth

± 29.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Amherst, VA grew at a rate of 4.51%, from 954 employees to 997 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Amherst, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (204 people), Retail Trade (110 people), and Manufacturing (90 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Amherst, VA, though some of these residents may live in Amherst, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$72,115

Median earning men ± $26,261

$40,377

Median earning women ± $17,565

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($158,359), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($90,478), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($89,231).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($41,618), Retail Trade ($40,573), and Public Administration ($34,625).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Amherst, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (51.8%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
Republican Party
Other (0.905%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Measure

In 2022, 0.884% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.904% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.71M), Bachelors Degree (1.47M), and Some college (1.4M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Amherst, VA was $213,300 in 2023, which is 0.703 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $191,000 to $213,300, a 11.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Amherst, VA is 69.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Amherst, VA have an average commute time of 19.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Amherst, VA is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$213,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$23,256

$637

Median Property Taxes

±$143

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Amherst, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Amherst, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

69.9%

Homeownership

2023

70.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 69.9% of the housing units in Amherst, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Amherst, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the places in Amherst, VA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$71,313

Median Household Income

± $20,371

911

Number of Households

± 188

In 2023, the median household income of the 911 households in Amherst, VA grew to $71,313 from the previous year's value of $59,306.

The following chart displays the households in Amherst, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Amherst, VA is from Virginia.

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.164% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (74%)
Carpooled (11.8%)
Worked At Home (11.4%)

In 2023, 74% of workers in Amherst, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.8%) and those who worked at home (11.4%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Amherst, VA have a shorter commute time (19.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.575% of the workforce in Amherst, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Amherst, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Amherst, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Amherst, VA have 3 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

6.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Amherst, VA (125 out of 1.92k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Females 75+ and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Amherst, VA is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

96.4% of the population of Amherst, VA has health coverage, with 55.4% on employee plans, 13.2% on Medicaid, 17.1% on Medicare, 9.89% on non-group plans, and 0.768% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Amherst County, VA see 3958 patients per year on average, which represents a 12.3% decrease from the previous year (4515 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4468 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2606 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Amherst County, VA.

3,958 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Amherst County, VA

Primary care physicians in Amherst County, VA see an average of 3,958 patients per year. This represents a 12.3% decrease from the previous year (4,515 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Amherst County, VA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.1% under 18 years, 18.5% between 18 and 34 years, 40.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.7% were men and 49.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.64%

Uninsured

55.4%

Employer Coverage

13.2%

Medicaid

17.1%

Medicare

9.89%

Non-Group

0.768%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Amherst, VA declined by 38.2% from 5.88% to 3.64%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Amherst, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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