Compare towns
Amherst Town vs Waltham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amherst Town has the youngest population (median age 21.4).
Waltham has the most kids (13.6% under 18).
Amherst Town is a college town. 59.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 Town | Waltham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 38,182Lowest |
64,902Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.6% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 21.4±0.2Lowest 47% below MA |
34.4±1Highest 14% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 7.5%±1.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
13.6%±1.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 10.1%±1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
15.8%±1.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 75.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
57.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 59.6%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
19.1%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $66,968±$7kLowest 36% below MA |
$120,216±$7kHighest 16% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $484,900±$21kLowest 14% below MA |
$748,700±$27kHighest 33% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,671±$93Lowest 5% below MA |
$2,268±$79Highest 29% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,787Highest 47% above MA |
$4,766Lowest 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.1%±8.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.7%±4.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 23.7%Highest MA: 10% |
9.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 44.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
49.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1961Lowest 3 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 38% below MA |
25 minHighest 15% below MA |
| Work from home | 21%±2.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.2%±2.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Waltham and Amherst Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #58 of 282 in MA | #217 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Amherst · Amherst-Pelham | Waltham |
| High school in town | Amherst Regional High | Waltham Sr High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
10.4Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet |
MA 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.