Amherst vs Northampton
About 19 minutes apart by car. Amherst's median home is assessed $32,750 higher. The municipal tax plus CPA scenarios on each town's median assessment differ by $2,244.
Amherst and Northampton Compared
Download CSV, same columns, same definitions
Public-record figures for both towns from the same source for each row: assessment rolls, the Division of Local Services tax certification, the census, and the federal walkability and utility layers. Assessments are for taxation and lag the market. Tax figures apply each listed rate to the listed assessment; their fiscal years may differ. Separate district levies are excluded. This table states differences and draws no conclusion about which town is preferable.
| Measure | Amherst | Northampton |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2020 | 39,263 | 29,571 |
| County | Hampshire | Hampshire |
| Median Single-Family Assessment | $537,100 | $504,350 |
| Assessment Fiscal Year | 2,026 | 2,026 |
| Tax-Rate Fiscal Year | 2,026 | 2,026 |
| Residential Tax Rate | $16.91 | $13.67 |
| Municipal Tax + CPA Scenario | $9,304 | $7,060 |
| Preservation Surcharge | 3% | 3% |
| Median Year Built | 1,968 | 1,954 |
| Housing Units | 10,748 | 13,668 |
| Natural Gas Main | Yes | Yes |
| Municipal Sewer | Yes, in part | Yes, in part |
| Community Water | Yes, in part | Yes, in part |
| Federal Flood Map | Current digital map; flood zones present | Older digitised FEMA map; check current boundaries |
| Walkability Index | 12.7 | 11.2 |
| Mean Commute | 18 min | 21.4 min |
| Annual Snowfall | 36.5 in | 36.5 in |
| Per-Pupil Spending | $30,025 | $21,336 |
| Owners Cost-Burdened | 22.8% | 23.8% |
What These Columns Mean
- Measure
- The figure being compared. Both towns come from the same source for each row.
- Amherst
- The figure for Amherst.
- Northampton
- The figure for Northampton.
Cite: RE413. “Amherst and Northampton Compared.” Updated November 2, 2026. https://www.re413.com/compare/amherst-vs-northampton/, underlying sources at https://www.re413.com/sources/.
Amherst: Separate fire, water or other district levies, special assessments and individual exemptions are excluded. Confirm the property's full bill with the assessor.
Northampton: Separate fire, water or other district levies, special assessments and individual exemptions are excluded. Confirm the property's full bill with the assessor.
How to Read This
We are not going to tell you which town is better. There is no defensible ranking to give and the honest answer depends on what you want from a house.
The rows that most often decide it are the tax bill, which compounds every year you own; whether there is a gas main, because in this region its absence means delivered oil or propane through a long winter; and the flood mapping row, where "not digitised" means the question has not been answered rather than answered no.
Variation inside a town is usually larger than the gap between two towns. For a real answer, look up the actual address rather than comparing medians, and run the tax on the actual asking price.
Go Deeper on Either Town
Sources
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services. Certified residential tax rates and the Community Preservation surcharge for both towns.
- MassGIS standardized assessors' parcels. Median single-family assessed values and median year built.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Population, housing units, commuting time and housing cost burden.
- openrouteservice, map data from OpenStreetMap contributors. The typical drive time between the two town centres, computed without traffic.
"Figures through" is the period the publisher's data describes; "checked" is only when we last asked. The full sourcing: sources and method.