Global CityIntelligence

United States / North America

Amherst, United States City Intelligence

Amherst is an indexed city in United States (North America), with a metropolitan population of about ~130K. This profile brings together deterministic city-intelligence indicators for Amherst spanning cost of living, climate, safety and quality of life, economy and jobs, education, and healthcare. Amherst is a north america city of about ~130K in United States. On the composite city-intelligence score, Amherst sits comfortably above the indexed median (80/100).

Last updated
2026-05-16
Data year
2025
Population
~130K
View of Amherst, United States

Image credit: Image: TonyTheTiger / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Composite profile

Overall score

80/100

Use the Amherst profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in United States and across North America, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations.

Overall80/100
Affordability48/100
Air quality74/100
Energy79/100

Overall city intelligence

Strong

80/100

Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.

Data confidence

Directional

Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.

Verified utility layers

See country hub

Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.

Amherst data table

The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.

Amherst city intelligence data table
MetricValueContext
Overall score80/100Composite score across major city intelligence modules.
Cost of Living48/100Amherst's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.
Air Quality74/100Amherst's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.
Energy79/100Amherst's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.
Safety76/100Amherst's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.
Internet Speed80/100Amherst's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.
Climate Risk71/100Amherst's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.
Resilience71/100Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context.

Safety

Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.

Safety

Overall safety79/100
Low crime82/100
Personal safety80/100
Night safety76/100
Road safety77/100

Amherst is estimated to be a generally safe city (79/100 in our safety index), with solid personal-safety indicators.

Quality of Life

A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.

Quality of Life

Quality of life83/100
Healthcare86/100
Education86/100
Green space95/100
Cleanliness86/100
Infrastructure90/100
Mobility62/100

Amherst has a very high quality-of-life estimate (83/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure.

Family Friendliness

How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.

Family Friendliness

Family friendliness82/100
Education86/100
Green space95/100
Overall safety79/100

Amherst scores very high for family living (82/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Digital nomad suitability73/100
Walkability62/100
Cycling60/100
Infrastructure90/100

Amherst is high for remote workers (73/100), based on connectivity, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.

Retirement Suitability

Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.

Retirement Suitability

Retirement suitability77/100
Healthcare86/100
Cleanliness86/100
Outdoor lifestyle57/100

Amherst is high for retirement (77/100), appealing for healthcare access, a comfortable climate and a clean environment.

Emergency and public safety in Amherst

Local public safety guidance for Amherst, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.

Verified
United States emergency contacts
ServiceNumberNotes
Universal emergency91124/7911 reaches police, fire, and emergency medical dispatch across the United States.

For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Amherst, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the United States emergency profile.

Public safety sources

Each emergency contact above is attributed to an official emergency service or government publisher. Confirm current numbers directly with these sources.

Last verified: 2026-05-16

Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.

Healthcare and hospitals in Amherst

Healthcare context for Amherst, with national-level information from United States where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.

Verified

For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Amherst, see the United States healthcare profile.

Official hospital registry

Medicare Care Compare

Federal directory for comparing Medicare-certified hospitals, nursing homes, and other care providers.

Last verified: 2026-05-16

Healthcare sources

Each entry above is attributed to an official government, public health, or recognised health-system publisher. Confirm current information directly with these sources.

Last verified: 2026-05-16

Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.

Transport and mobility in Amherst

Local mobility context for Amherst, with national-level context from United States where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.

Verified

For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Amherst, see the United States transport profile.

Transport sources

Each entry above is attributed to an official transport authority, national operator, airport publisher, or government source. Confirm current information directly with these publishers.

Last verified: 2026-05-16

Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.

Air quality dataset

Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Amherst. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.

Air quality dataset for Amherst

Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025

Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location

Source-attributed values for Amherst will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.

Amherst air-quality dataset coverage
MetricValueData yearStatus
Air qualityVerified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location.

Data provenance

Source attribution
  • Global City Intelligence — air-quality dataset

    Verified data unavailable
    Publisher
    Global City Intelligence
    Last verified
    2026-05-16

    The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).

Quick answers

Quick, evidence-based answers about Amherst drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.

Quick answers about Amherst

Is Amherst worth visiting?

Yes — excellent quality of life (83/100), with nearby nature such as Glen Falls, Riverside Park.

Is Amherst good for families?

Excellent (82/100) on safety, schools and green space.

Is Amherst affordable?

Around average cost; about $1,960/month for one person (estimate).

When is the best time to visit Amherst?

Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.

What are Amherst's main industries?

Mainly energy, technology, manufacturing.

What is the climate in Amherst?

A humid continental climate, averaging about 12.6°C.

Does Amherst have universities?

Higher education is strong (70/100).

What is healthcare like in Amherst?

Healthcare access is good (60/100).

Is Amherst good for retirement?

Retirement suitability is good (64/100).

What nature is near Amherst?

Within ~170 km: Glen Falls, Riverside Park.

Explore Amherst modules

City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.

Cost of Living in Amherst

Amherst's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.

Air Quality in Amherst

Amherst's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.

Energy in Amherst

Amherst's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.

Safety in Amherst

Amherst's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.

Internet Speed in Amherst

Amherst's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.

Climate Risk in Amherst

Amherst's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.

City rankings

Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.

Cost of living in Amherst

Cost of living estimates for Amherst — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.

Climate in Amherst

Climate profile for Amherst — Humid Continental climate, annual average 12.6°C, comfort score 72/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.

Economy and jobs in Amherst

Economy and jobs profile for Amherst — regional center, economy score 81/100, key industries including energy, technology, manufacturing. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.

Universities and education in Amherst

Education profile for Amherst — regional education center, education score 67/100, 4 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.

Healthcare and retirement in Amherst

Healthcare and retirement profile for Amherst — regional healthcare center, healthcare score 60/100, retirement score 64/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.

Visual guide to Amherst

Source-attributed visual context for Amherst using verified Wikimedia imagery from the existing media catalog, alongside structured city intelligence and planning links. Not a tourism guide or attractions ranking.

Weekend trip planning guide for Amherst

Weekend trip planning checklist for Amherst — links into arrival planning, Summer 2026 travel context, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not an itinerary, events calendar, hotel-price guide, restaurant guide, or tourism ranking.

Nearby weekend places from Amherst

Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.

Estimate a monthly budget for Amherst

Estimate a monthly budget for Amherst using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.

Plan a trip budget for Amherst

Plan a trip budget for Amherst using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.

Nearby cities from Amherst

Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Amherst. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.

Niagara Falls, Canada

Cross-border · about 27 km from Amherst. Explore Niagara Falls's city intelligence profile.

St. Catharines, Canada

Cross-border · about 42 km from Amherst. Explore St. Catharines's city intelligence profile.

Oakville, Canada

Cross-border · about 89 km from Amherst. Explore Oakville's city intelligence profile.

Burlington, Canada

Cross-border · about 90 km from Amherst. Explore Burlington's city intelligence profile.

Toronto, Canada

Cross-border · about 90 km from Amherst. Explore Toronto's city intelligence profile.

Hamilton, Canada

Cross-border · about 92 km from Amherst. Explore Hamilton's city intelligence profile.

Mississauga, Canada

Cross-border · about 98 km from Amherst. Explore Mississauga's city intelligence profile.

Ajax, Canada

Cross-border · about 100 km from Amherst. Explore Ajax's city intelligence profile.

Amherst FAQ

Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Amherst, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.

Frequently asked questions about Amherst

Is Amherst worth visiting?

Amherst has a very high quality-of-life estimate (83/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure. Visitors can also reach nature such as Glen Falls, Riverside Park and Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site within weekend range.

What is it like to live in Amherst?

Amherst has a very high quality-of-life estimate (83/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure. It indexes 83/100 for overall quality of life.

How much does it cost to live in Amherst?

A single resident of Amherst spends roughly $1,960 per month, with a one-bedroom rent near $1,040. Overall the city is around average cost for the United States. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.

What should I know about moving to Amherst?

Plan for around-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Amherst is high for remote workers (73/100), based on connectivity, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.

What is the job market like in Amherst?

Amherst's labour market is very strong, with opportunities concentrated in technology, tourism and hospitality and manufacturing. Amherst has a regional economy with strengths in energy, technology and manufacturing.

Is Amherst good for digital nomads and remote work?

Amherst offers strong infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 85/100.

What are the education options in Amherst?

Amherst is a regional education center with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Mathematics, Computer Science and Medicine.

Is Amherst a good place to study?

Amherst offers a moderate student environment, supported by strong quality of life and good connectivity.

What is healthcare like in Amherst?

Amherst has a regional healthcare center, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 60/100. Residents have solid access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.

Is Amherst a good place to retire?

Amherst offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 64/100. Residents benefit from parks and green space and broad urban amenities and day-to-day services.

What is the climate like in Amherst?

Amherst has a humid continental climate, averaging about 12.6°C annually with roughly 801 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Jan.

Is Amherst a safe place to live?

Amherst is estimated to be a generally safe city (79/100 in our safety index), with solid personal-safety indicators.

How easy is it to get around Amherst?

Amherst indexes a walkability score of 62 and a cycling score of 60 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.

What nature and outdoor places are near Amherst?

Nature destinations within about 170 km of Amherst include Glen Falls, Riverside Park and Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site. Each is linked with its official source on the profile.

Is Amherst good for families?

Amherst scores very high for family living (82/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.

What outdoor activities are there around Amherst?

Amherst rates 57/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 95/100 for green space. Nearby nature such as Glen Falls, Riverside Park and Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site supports day hikes, water activities and weekend trips.

Interpretation

Use the Amherst profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in United States and across North America, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations. Its standout dimensions are internet speed (80/100) and energy (79/100). The area most worth watching is cost of living (48/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.

Country context is available on the United States country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Amherst appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.

Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.

Sources

4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.