Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 61% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, South Amherst is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so South Amherst’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how South Amherst’s history is told.
Peaked at 2,913 in 1970; 1,581 people lived here in 2020.
11 censuses, 1920–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on South Amherst’s Wikipedia page.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of South Amherst. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of South Amherst.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of South Amherst yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
South Amherst is a village in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,581 at the 2020 census.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,688 to 1,581 (-6%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention South Amherst, cut from the printed page as they were published.
In 1834, before there was any post-office in town, Harvey (iibbs used to carry the mail between Oberlin and South Amherst, in a leather bag which would hold about half a peck. He was the first post-master, the post-office then being in the first building north of the site of the town hall. In 1841 T. Dwight Eells was appointed post-master. Mr. Eells was succeeded by Mr. Munson, who kept the office until 1840,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The little village in the southern part of the township, is known as South Amherst, though the post office is Amherst. Its early settlers have been noticed in the first part of this chapter, and as the village is not incorporated, and in fact consists of only a few people and a small cluster of houses, there remains but little to be said about it. The place was known many years ago by the unpoetical title of “* Podunk.”
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The little village in the southern part of the township, is known as South Amherst, though the post office is Amherst. Its early settlers have been noticed | in the first part of this chapter, and as the village is not incorporated, and in fact consists of only a few people and a small cluster of houses, there remains but little to be said about it. The place was known many years ago by the uupoetical title of "Podunk."
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereHubert Reynolds is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEach neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
South Amherst is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
34% of South Amherst’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.3 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1954.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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