Photo: Andrew Bain · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Amherst, VA: what to set up and who to call
Trash goes out on Thursdays in Amherst, collected by WasteCo. Tap water in most of Amherst comes from the Town of Amherst water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 22% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result of 0.7 ppb.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Amherst, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Amherst.
Power comes from Appalachian Power
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Amherst. Its homes paid an average of 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $186 a month (its average across Virginia).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Town of Amherst water system
The Town of Amherst water system supplies Amherst: about 79% of residents live in its service area. About 21% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 2,231 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 1.4 ppb. That’s lower than 56% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. VA5009050.
3 home internet providers serve Amherst
99% of 1,002 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 98% | 1,200/35 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 67% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 46% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Amherst is Thursday
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Amherst, from the town’s own site.
This month
- TrashEvery week
- RecyclingEvery other week, Thu · which week: amherstva.gov
From amherstva.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 22, 2026; pages dated Effective January 2026, JANUARY 2026 - DECEMBER 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Amherst is in Amherst County Public Schools.
BSchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Amherst is in ZIP code 24521
ZIP codes where Amherst residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Amherst | ZIP’s residents in Amherst |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24521 | Amherst, VA | 100% | 21% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Amherst
Who supplies Amherst’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Town of Amherst water system (EPA ID VA5009050). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.7 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Amherst?
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Amherst?
Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Amherst?
24521. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Amherst in?
Amherst County Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Amherst?
In Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before). Elections here are run by the Amherst General Registrar. Check your registration at vote.elections.virginia.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Amherst’s own website (amherstva.gov), read Oct 22, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.