Amherst Town-Northampton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Amherst Town-Northampton
Kingston
Opportunity: Amherst Town-Northampton is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
72 · Top 20%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth: Amherst Town-Northampton is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
68 · Top 22%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate: Kingston is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
60 · Bottom 24%
vs60 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience: Amherst Town-Northampton is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
82 · Top 12%
vs71 · Top 26%
Housing affordability: Kingston is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
81 · Bottom 21%
vs84 · Bottom 24%
Access: Amherst Town-Northampton is the more favorable of the two.
Access
98 · Top 7%
vs86 · Top 32%
Economic stability: Amherst Town-Northampton is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
71 · Top 24%
vs37 · Bottom 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Amherst Town-Northampton | Kingston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 162,028 | 182,601 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,001 | $86,271 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,568 | $47,778 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 307/sq mi | 162/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $390,300 | $352,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,388 | $1,425 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.8% | 69.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.6% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.3% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 398 | 600 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 3.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 22.5% | 4.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.2" | 45.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 44.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Amherst Town-Northampton
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Kingston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Amherst Town-Northampton
76
Your Score
74
Area Score
Kingston
65
Your Score
67
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Metro Area · Kingston, NY Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology