Is Amherst, VA growing?

Name: Growth in Amherst, VA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Amherst, VA had an estimated 1,865 (±374) residents in 2020–2024, against 2,732 in 2015–2019.

That is a change of −31.7%, a measurable decrease.

Its housing went from 1,305 to 948 homes (−27.4%), a measurable decrease.

0.0% of today’s homes were built in 2020 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Residents now: 1,865 (±374)
Amount of change: −31.7%
Homes change: −27.4%
Built 2020 or later: 0.0%

Residents and homes in Amherst, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Residents	2,732 (±369)	1,865 (±374)	−31.7%	Measurable decrease
Housing units	1,305 (±150)	948 (±165)	−27.4%	Measurable decrease
Households that rent	30.2% (±8.5 points)	29.6% (±10.9 points)	−0.6 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$807 (±$205)	$718 (±$28)	−11.0%	Down after inflation
Median home value	$168,100 (±$15,283)	$220,700 (±$29,758)	+31.3%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Growth in Amherst against Amherst County, its state and the nation

Change between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
	Residents	Verdict	Housing units
Amherst	−31.7%	Measurable decrease	−27.4%
Amherst County	−0.9%	Measurable decrease	+1.2%
Virginia	+3.0%	Measurable increase	+4.9%
United States	+3.1%	Measurable increase	+4.6%

A change in a place’s boundaries between the two periods (an annexation, say) changes its counts as well; the Census Bureau’s figures are for the place as it was drawn in each period.

New homes in Amherst

Housing units by year built, 2020–2024
Year built	Amherst	Amherst County	Virginia	United States
2020 or later	0.0% (±4.1 points)	0.6%	1.7%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	0.6% (±1.0 points)	5.1%	9.9%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	5.5% (±3.3 points)	12.6%	14.9%	13.6%

0.6% of the homes in Amherst were built in 2010 or later.

The median age of residents is 50.3 years.

Growth in places near Amherst

Change in residents between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Place	Distance	Residents now	Amount of change	Verdict
Amherst	—	1,865	−31.7%	Measurable decrease
Madison Heights	9.6 mi	10,266	−12.0%	Measurable decrease
Lynchburg	15 mi	79,497	−1.3%	Measurable decrease
Concord	17 mi	1,462	+96.0%	Measurable increase
Forest	19 mi	13,430	+23.9%	Measurable increase
Buena Vista	20 mi	6,593	+1.7%	Measurable increase
Appomattox	20 mi	2,084	+12.3%	Not a measurable change
Timberlake	21 mi	12,725	−3.9%	Not a measurable change
Rustburg	22 mi	1,417	−0.1%	Not a measurable change

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Amherst

Is Amherst growing?

Amherst, VA had an estimated 1,865 residents in 2020–2024 and 2,732 in 2015–2019, a change of −31.7%: a measurable decrease by the Census Bureau’s test.

How many homes have been added in Amherst?

The estimated number of housing units went from 1,305 in 2015–2019 to 948 in 2020–2024 (−27.4%), a measurable decrease.

How much new construction is there in Amherst?

0.0% of homes in Amherst were built in 2020 or later and 0.6% between 2010 and 2019.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Amherst town, Virginia (place:01672, in state:51).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25001_001E, B25001_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP05_0018E, DP05_0018M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.