Compare towns
Amherst vs Buffalo
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amherst has the most expensive homes ($312k median).
Buffalo has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Amherst | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 130,546Lowest |
276,854Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
+6.5%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 39.1±0.8Highest about the NY average |
34.3±0.5Lowest 14% below NY |
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±1Lowest NY: 20.5% |
22.3%±0.6Highest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±0.9Highest NY: 17.9% |
14.2%±0.5Lowest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.3%Highest NY: 40.2% |
31.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±0.8Highest NY: 7% |
8.5%±0.5Lowest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $93,483±$2kHighest 9% above NY |
$50,041±$2kLowest 42% below NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,600±$7kHighest 26% below NY |
$164,200±$5kLowest 61% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,393±$45Highest 14% below NY |
$1,046±$18Lowest 35% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,935Highest 10% below NY |
$1,622Lowest 75% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.1%±4.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
52.3%±2.3Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Amherst and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Lowest NY: 14% |
26%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.9%Highest NY: 54.3% |
43%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Highest 12 yrs newer than NY |
1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minHighest 39% below NY |
20 minLowest 39% below NY |
| Work from home | 15.9%±1.4Highest NY: 14.9% |
11.3%±0.8Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #72 of 484 in NY | #455 of 484 in NY |
| School district | AMHERST CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | WILLIAMSVILLE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL | HUTCHINSON CENTRAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Lowest |
12.5Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
NY average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.