Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Amherst Town spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Amherst Town’s town government spent $95.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,379 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Amherst Town is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,929 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Amherst Town’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,929 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,238, and the middle half spent $3,936–$4,686. Amherst Town spent less than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.3 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Amherst Town itself left out).
About $2,379 per resident a year, or $6.52 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 39% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Amherst Town runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 23% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Amherst Town reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,929 · 2024: $2,379.
full-time in March 2025, up from 713 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $8,787 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.81% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Amherst Town’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Amherst Town’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Amherst Town →
Who’s in charge in Amherst Town
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Amherst Town’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on visithampshirecounty.com/explore/destinations/amherst ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 52 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (40,059).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Amherst-Pelham School District
Amherst Town’s middle and high school district, shared with Leverett, Pelham, Shutesbury. The schools are run by Amherst Town, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $31,061 per pupil, $17,221 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.
Amherst School District · $35,225 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Amherst Town voted in 2024
Official results for Amherst Town’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat87.4%9,316 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican8.3%889 votesOthers: 4.3% (458 votes).
Most votes in Amherst Town: Kamala D Harris
Hampshire County: Harris 69.2%, Trump 27.5% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Amherst Town’s 31,893 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Amherst Town: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Hampshire County: Warren 69.3%, Deaton 30.6% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: James P Mc Govern
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Amherst Town, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town | 87.4% | 8.3% | 4.3% | 10,663 |
| Hampshire County | 69.2% | 27.5% | 3.4% | 84,720 |
| Massachusetts | 61.2% | 36.0% | 2.8% | 3,473,668 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Amherst Town.
- 1Your townTown government
- 2Massachusetts HouseState representatives
- 3Massachusetts SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Amherst Town compares with the towns next door
Amherst Town spent $1,929 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Pelham | $3,476 runs schools | $7,472 |
| Shutesbury | $3,493 runs schools | $6,642 |
| South Hadley | $3,580 runs schools | $5,500 |
| Granby | $3,744 runs schools | $5,572 |
| Hadley | $4,162 runs schools | $5,271 |
| Leverett | $4,186 runs schools | $6,779 |
| Belchertown | $4,531 runs schools | $5,810 |
| Amherst Town | $1,929 | $8,787 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Amherst Town’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Amherst Town’s government
How much does Amherst Town spend per resident?
About $2,379 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,929 was less than 100% of 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Amherst Town?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,787 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see visithampshirecounty.com/explore/destinations/amherst.
Who runs Amherst Town’s government?
See visithampshirecounty.com/explore/destinations/amherst for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Amherst Town yet.
How did Amherst Town vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 87.4%, Donald J Trump 8.3% (10,663 votes, official results). Hampshire County: Harris 69.2%, Trump 27.5%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Amherst Town?
771 full-time and 118 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $6.2M (about $74.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Amherst Town in the state legislature?
State Senate District Hampshire-Franklin-Worcester (Jo Comerford) and State House District 3rd Hampshire (Mindy Domb). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Amherst Town’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →