Compare towns
Galen vs Amherst
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Galen has the most affordable homes ($95k median).
Amherst has the most expensive homes ($312k 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 | Galen | Amherst |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 4,369Lowest |
130,546Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.9%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
+5.9%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 37.7±5.2Lowest 5% below NY |
39.1±0.8Highest about the NY average |
| Amherst and Galen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 27.8%±5.4Highest NY: 20.5% |
19.2%±1Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 16.9%±3.3Lowest NY: 17.9% |
21.5%±0.9Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 14.3%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
57.3%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.4Lowest NY: 7% |
13.3%±0.8Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $64,177±$7kLowest 25% below NY |
$93,483±$2kHighest 9% above NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $95,400±$15kLowest 77% below NY |
$311,600±$7kHighest 26% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $864±$286Lowest 47% below NY |
$1,393±$45Highest 14% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,693Lowest 59% below NY |
$5,935Highest 10% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.2%±25.8Highest NY: 52.1% |
53.1%±4.3Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Galen and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 17.5%Highest NY: 14% |
10.1%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
69.9%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 4 yrs older than NY |
1971Highest 12 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minHighest 32% below NY |
20 minLowest 39% below NY |
| Work from home | 8.1%±4.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
15.9%±1.4Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #475 of 484 in NY | #72 of 484 in NY |
| School district | CLYDE-SAVANNAH CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | AMHERST CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | CLYDE-SAVANNAH HIGH SCHOOL | WILLIAMSVILLE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
11.2Highest |
| 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.