Photo: TonyTheTiger · CC BY-SA 3.0Amherst spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar towns
Amherst’s town government spent $168 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,287 per resident.
What stands out about how Amherst is run
Read from the town’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Amherst’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Traffic-Safety BoardWednesday · 7:00 pmTraffic-Safety Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Town BoardMonday · 4:00 pm · Amherst Municipal Building, 5583 Main StTown Board Work SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Town BoardMonday · 7:00 pm · Amherst Municipal Building, 5583 Main StTown Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Amherst Community Diversity CommissionTuesday · 5:30 pmAmherst Community Diversity Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Arts and Culture in Public Places BoardTuesday · 7:00 pmArts and Culture in Public Places Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Historic Preservation CommissionTuesday · 7:00 pm · Amherst Municipal Building, 5583 Main St.Historic Preservation Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2Amherst Veterans CommitteeMonday · 5:30 pmAmherst Veterans Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct26Town BoardMonday · 7:00 pm · Amherst Municipal Building, 5583 Main StTown Board Budget MeetingAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct26Town BoardMonday · 4:00 pm · Amherst Municipal Building, 5583 Main StTown Board Work SessionAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct22Design Advisory BoardThursday · 6:00 pmDesign Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct22Design Advisory BoardThursday · 6:00 pm · Amherst Municipal Building, 5583 Main St.Design Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,287 per resident a year, or $3.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,257 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them
Amherst’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,257 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 New York towns and townships of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $846, and the middle half spent $587–$1,029. Amherst spent more than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($22.3 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 →
New York towns and townships of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Amherst itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 6% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Amherst 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: $1,257 · 2023: $1,279 · 2024: $1,287.
full-time in March 2025, up from 614 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 $5,935 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.90% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
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.
Tax bills are one input to Amherst’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Amherst →
Who’s in charge in Amherst
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 206 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 (130,543).
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.
Williamsville Central School District
Amherst’s K–12 school district, shared with Williamsville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,869 per pupil, $13,736 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.
New York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.
Sweet Home Central School District · $25,820 per pupil
Amherst Central School District · $22,571 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Amherst’s votes are counted by county
New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Amherst alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Erie County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.1%248,651 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.5%204,774 votesOthers: 1.4% (6,537 votes).
Most votes in Erie County: Kamala D Harris
New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
100% of Amherst lies in Erie County. Every 2024 race in Erie County is on the county’s page.
Erie County’s 2024 results →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.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: amherst.ny.us ↗
- 2New York AssemblyState representatives
- 3New York SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Amherst compares with the towns next door
Amherst spent $1,257 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $514 to $5,895. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Pendleton | $514 | $6,623 |
| Wheatfield | $543 | $5,735 |
| Clarence | $566 | $6,907 |
| Cheektowaga | $937 | $4,578 |
| Tonawanda | $1,372 | $4,461 |
| North Tonawanda | $1,449 | $4,636 |
| Buffalo | $5,895 runs schools | $1,622 |
| Amherst | $1,257 | $5,935 |
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’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Amherst’s government
How much does Amherst spend per resident?
About $1,287 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,257 was more than 83% of 18 New York towns and townships of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Amherst?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,935 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.90% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see amherst.ny.us.
Who runs Amherst’s government?
See amherst.ny.us for current officials. 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?
New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Amherst alone. Erie County, where 100% of Amherst lies, voted Harris 54.1%, Trump 44.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Amherst?
634 full-time and 170 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.8M (about $57.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Amherst in the state legislature?
State Senate District 61 (Jeremy Zellner) and Assembly District 146 (Karen McMahon). The Assembly district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Amherst?
The next posted meeting is Traffic-Safety Board on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:00 pm, from the town’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Amherst’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 →