Amherst, New Hampshire Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 726, Amherst's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Amherst is a small community located in New Hampshire, within Hillsborough County. The total population is 726. It ranks as the 72nd most populous out of 100 Census-designated places in New Hampshire.

Age Demographics

The median age in Amherst is 39.2 years. This is 9% lower than the state median of 43.3 years. 10.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Amherst is $154,286. This is 56% higher than the state median of $99,031. It is also 91% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Amherst. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Amherst, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $544,600. Housing costs are 35% higher than the state median of $402,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.5x. 92.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 28% higher than the state average of 72.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Amherst has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.4%.

Education

67.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Amherst in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 66% higher than the state rate of 40.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 54.6% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Amherst, New Hampshire is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against New Hampshire state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 100 Census-designated places in New Hampshire. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.