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Town Hall · Amherst

Amherst spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities

Amherst’s village government spent $615,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $2,421 per resident. Water and other utilities ($58,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$615,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,421
In 2022: $2,421, more than 91% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
1
full-time · 3 part-time · March payroll $6,662
Typical tax bill
$2,407
1.42% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Amherst is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $2,421 per resident, more than 91% of 472 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer84% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Amherst Public Schools with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,407 a year: 1.42% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$2,421 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them

Amherst’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,421 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,038, and the middle half spent $774–$1,450. Amherst spent more than 91% of them.

Middle half of the group, $774–$1,450Median $1,038Amherst

Includes sewer and trash ($510,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
472

Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Amherst itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,421 per resident a year, or $6.63 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 83%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 71%Other taxes & licenses 15%Interest, fines & other 9%Utility sales 2%Property taxes 1%From the state 1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2.2 million; interest on debt $1,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.9 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Amherst reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,407 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.42% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Amherst$2,407
$2,407
typical bill a year
1.42%
effective rate
$169,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Amherst’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Amherst’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Amherst →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Amherst

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Amherst’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Amherst yet.
Who works for Amherst

One full-time village employee for every 254 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (254).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings0 + 3 pt
Roads & transportation1
1
full-time
3
part-time
$6,662
payroll for March 2022
$79,944
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$60,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Amherst had 3.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 364 of the 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.0: Amherst had fewer than 50% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Amherst Public Schools

Amherst’s K–12 school district, shared with Riverdale. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Amherst →
$14,250
per pupil · NE $15,602
380
students
$8.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,250 per pupil, $8,355 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 53%State 42%Federal 5%

Nebraska districts overall: 56% local, 34% state, 10% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Amherst’s votes are counted by county

Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Amherst alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Buffalo County’s results.

President · Buffalo County’s results23,759 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican71.8%17,064 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.9%6,386 votes

Others: 1.3% (309 votes).

Most votes in Buffalo County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

100% of Amherst lies in Buffalo County. Every 2024 race in Buffalo County is on the county’s page.

Buffalo County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Amherst

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Amherst.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Fred Meyer
  3. 3
    GovernorStatewide
    Jim Pillen
  4. 4
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Adrian Smith
  5. 5
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska
    Deb FischerPete Ricketts

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Amherst’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Amherst’s government

How much does Amherst spend per resident?

About $2,421 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,421 was more than 91% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Amherst?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,407 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.

Who runs Amherst’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Amherst yet.

How did Amherst vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Amherst alone. Buffalo County, where 100% of Amherst lies, voted Trump 71.8%, Harris 26.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Amherst?

1 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,662 (about $79,944 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Amherst in the state legislature?

State Senate District 41 (Fred Meyer). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Amherst’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →