Amherst County, Virginia
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B, better than 66% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade B+, better than 71% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 46% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 31% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 25% of US counties
- top 10% for sales tax
- top 17% for property tax rate
- bottom 12% for amenities nearby
Amherst County is a county in Virginia with about 31,000 residents. It grades B+ for weather and C for lifestyle & connectivity. Standout strengths include sales tax, property tax rate, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on school quality and amenities nearby.
Official websitecountyofamherst.com (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Snowy
cold
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warm
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75%63%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.0 in3.5 in
humid 77%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$64k61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$48kbetter than 30% of US counties
Home Value$182k61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$811better than 52% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 60% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.53%better than 83% of US counties
Income Tax5.80%better than 29% of US counties
Sales Tax5.77%better than 90% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.21%better than 56% of US counties
Unemployment4.5%better than 55% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)36°F57th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)77°F47th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation45.8 in57th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall15.7 inbetter than 45% of US counties
Sunny Days253 daysbetter than 67% of US counties
Summer Humidity66°Fbetter than 46% of US counties
Comfortable Days84 daysbetter than 63% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk21.0better than 77% of US counties
School Quality44.6better than 26% of US counties
Violent Crime784/100kbetter than 50% of US counties
Property Crime1153/100kbetter than 38% of US counties
Community
Population31,42656th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age43.971st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4066th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.915th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+3242nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)74.1%40th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)18.2%84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)2.7%27th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.7%57th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.3%69th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time27 minbetter than 29% of US counties
Walkability5.9/20better than 44% of US counties
Airport Distance101 mibetter than 48% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access79.0%better than 27% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 71% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Amherst County an affordable place to live?
- Amherst County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $48k, better than 30% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Amherst County?
- The median home value in Amherst County is $182k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Amherst County?
- Median household income in Amherst County is $64k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Amherst County?
- Median gross rent in Amherst County is $811 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Amherst County safe?
- Amherst County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 784/100k (better than 50%). Property crime is 1153/100k.
- What is the weather like in Amherst County?
- Amherst County averages 77°F in July and 36°F in January, with 45.8 in of annual precipitation and about 253 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Amherst County?
- Public-school quality in Amherst County is below average, scoring better than 26% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Amherst County?
- The average one-way commute in Amherst County is 27 min.
Other counties in Virginia
Explore Virginia
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)