Compare towns
Penfield 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
Penfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).
Amherst has the most renters (30.1% rent).
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 | Penfield | Amherst |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 38,965Lowest |
130,546Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8%Highest NY: +4.2% |
+5.9%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 45±1.6Highest 13% above NY |
39.1±0.8Lowest about the NY average |
| Kids under 18 | 23%±2.1Highest NY: 20.5% |
19.2%±1Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 21.3%±1.5Lowest NY: 17.9% |
21.5%±0.9Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Amherst and Penfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 58%Highest NY: 40.2% |
57.3%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±0.6Lowest NY: 7% |
13.3%±0.8Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $119,154±$5kHighest 39% above NY |
$93,483±$2kLowest 9% above NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $291,500±$12kLowest 31% below NY |
$311,600±$7kHighest 26% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,473±$120Highest 9% below NY |
$1,393±$45Lowest 14% below NY |
| Penfield and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,223Highest 10% above NY |
$5,935Lowest 10% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.9%±6.7Lowest NY: 52.1% |
53.1%±4.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Amherst and Penfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 5.3%Lowest NY: 14% |
10.1%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.8%Highest NY: 54.3% |
69.9%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 22 yrs newer than NY |
1971Lowest 12 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 39% below NY |
20 min 39% below NY |
| Work from home | 23.2%±3Highest NY: 14.9% |
15.9%±1.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #21 of 484 in NY | #72 of 484 in NY |
| School district | PENFIELD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · WEBSTER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | AMHERST CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | PENFIELD SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | WILLIAMSVILLE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Highest |
11.2Lowest |
| 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.