Compare towns
Amherst vs Evans
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).
Evans has the most affordable homes ($177k 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 | Evans |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 130,546Highest |
15,183Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-6.4%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 39.1±0.8Lowest about the NY average |
49.5±2.8Highest 24% above NY |
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±1Highest NY: 20.5% |
15.7%±2.2Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±0.9Lowest NY: 17.9% |
24.1%±2.5Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Evans and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.3%Highest NY: 40.2% |
22.3%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±0.8Highest NY: 7% |
3.6%±0.9Lowest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $93,483±$2kHighest 9% above NY |
$72,467±$8kLowest 16% below NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,600±$7kHighest 26% below NY |
$176,500±$10kLowest 58% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,393±$45Highest 14% below NY |
$919±$104Lowest 43% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,935Highest 10% below NY |
$4,590Lowest 30% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.1%±4.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
25.7%±10.7Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Lowest NY: 14% |
11.9%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.9%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
86.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Highest 12 yrs newer than NY |
1957Lowest 2 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 39% below NY |
29 minHighest 11% below NY |
| Work from home | 15.9%±1.4Highest NY: 14.9% |
8.8%±2.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #72 of 484 in NY | #180 of 484 in NY |
| School district | AMHERST CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | EVANS-BRANT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT (LAKE SHORE) |
| High school in town | WILLIAMSVILLE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL | LAKE SHORE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Highest |
10.6Lowest |
| 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.