Photo: w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0Amherst spent less per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Amherst’s city government spent $10.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $851 per resident. Water and other utilities ($15.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Amherst is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$854 per resident in 2022: less than 82% of them
Amherst’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($854 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 61 Ohio cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,165, and the middle half spent $988–$1,535. Amherst spent less than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.7 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 →
Ohio cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Amherst itself left out).
About $851 per resident a year, or $2.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 4% 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: $854 · 2023: $851.
full-time in March 2025, down from 74 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 $3,139 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.31% of the home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio.
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.
Amherst’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on amherstohio.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 176 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (12,870).
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 Exempted Village School District
Amherst’s K–12 school district, shared with Amherst Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,704 per pupil, $7,944 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.
Ohio districts overall: 53% local, 35% state, 12% federal.
Firelands Local School District · $13,985 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Amherst voted in 2024
Official results for Amherst’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.7%4,104 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.3%3,327 votesOthers: 1.0% (76 votes).
Most votes in Amherst: Donald J Trump
Lorain County: Trump 52.4%, Harris 46.7% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
of Amherst’s 9,966 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Ohio: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Amherst: Sherrod Brown
Lorain County: Brown 50.8%, Moreno 46.0% · Ohio: Moreno 50.1%, Brown 46.5%
Most votes in the district: Bob Latta
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Amherst, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 54.7% | 44.3% | 1.0% | 7,507 |
| Lorain County | 52.4% | 46.7% | 0.9% | 158,959 |
| Ohio | 55.1% | 43.9% | 0.9% | 5,767,788 |
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 cityMayor & councilOfficials: amherstohio.org ↗
- 2Ohio HouseState representatives
- 3Ohio SenateState senatorDistrict 13
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Ohio
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Amherst compares with the towns next door
Amherst spent $854 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $101 to $909. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brownhelm Township | $101 | $2,903 |
| Lorain | $909 | $1,708 |
| Amherst Township | estimate | $2,637 |
| Amherst | $854 | $3,139 |
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 $851 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $854 was less than 82% of 61 Ohio cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Amherst?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,139 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.31% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see amherstohio.org.
Who runs Amherst’s government?
See amherstohio.org 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?
For president, Donald J Trump 54.7%, Kamala D Harris 44.3% (7,507 votes, official results). Lorain County: Trump 52.4%, Harris 46.7%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Amherst?
73 full-time and 61 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $625,143 (about $7.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Amherst in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 and State House District 53 (Joe Miller). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
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 →