Overall
100.2
+0.2 above avg
2024 BEA RPP All 4 categories Federal source
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
Cost-of-living indicators for Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, compiled from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2024 data year). Categories include All Items, Goods, Services, and Rents.
CBSA: 11200 · Data year: 2024 · Rank: #84 of 387
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA has a cost of living index of 100.2, meaning it's 0.2% more expensive than the national average. Goods cost 3.0% less, services 55.7% more, and rents are 2.5% below average. A $100K national salary has the purchasing power of $99,758 here.
What the Numbers Mean for Amherst Town
Amherst Town ranks #84 of 387 U.S. metro areas measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, placing it in the top quartile for cost. With an overall Regional Price Parity of 100.2, Amherst Town-Northampton, MA is 0.2% more expensive than the national baseline of 100. The gap between Amherst Town's most and least expensive categories — services at 155.7 versus goods at 97.0 — is what drives the household budget experience on the ground, not the single headline number.
Translated into dollars, a nationally-benchmarked $100,000 salary carries the purchasing power of $99,758 inside Amherst Town, while a household needs roughly $100,243 here to match a $100K lifestyle elsewhere. Rents carry the biggest swing in the BEA formula and are indexed at 97.5 — 2.5% below the national average — so anyone weighing a move or a remote-work arbitrage should treat the housing line as the single largest variable in the equation.
Looking at the 2008-2024 trajectory, Amherst Town's overall index has stayed within 0.5 points, holding steady versus other U.S. metros. For the 2024 data year, goods are indexed at 97.0 and services at 155.7, meaning everyday spending in Amherst Town is governed more by the services and rent mix than by retail goods prices. Readers comparing multiple destinations should always pair the RPP headline with local wage data and housing costs before drawing relocation conclusions.
Amherst Town Cost Index at a Glance
Amherst Town all-items cost index
Regional Price Parity vs national average (100)
Amherst Town category breakdown
BEA RPP composition by goods, services, rents, overall
Price Index Summary
Goods
97.0
-3.0 below avg
Services
155.7
+55.7 above avg
Rents
97.5
-2.5 below avg
Price Index vs National Average (100)
Overall
National avg
Index 100.2 (+0.2 vs national avg)
Goods
National avg
Index 97.0 (-3.0 vs national avg)
Services
National avg
Index 155.7 (+55.7 vs national avg)
Rents
National avg
Index 97.5 (-2.5 vs national avg)
Vertical line on each bar = national average (100)
Cost Breakdown Analysis
Above National Average
Services +55.7% (155.7)
Overall +0.2% (100.2)
Below National Average
Goods -3.0% (97.0)
Rents -2.5% (97.5)
Income Adequacy in Amherst Town
Amherst Town income adequacy score
$75,000 median income vs RPP 100.2
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$100,243
in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$50,122
$75,000 nationally
$75,182
$125,000 nationally
$125,304
$150,000 nationally
$150,365
$200,000 nationally
$200,486
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has remained relatively stable, changing by only 0.5 points over this period.
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 99.7 |
| 2009 | 103.7 |
| 2010 | 96.7 |
| 2011 | 100.1 |
| 2012 | 99.3 |
| 2013 | 100.0 |
| 2014 | 99.3 |
| 2015 | 103.1 |
| 2016 | 99.7 |
| 2017 | 102.3 |
| 2018 | 100.8 |
| 2019 | 98.7 |
| 2020 | 101.8 |
| 2021 | 99.0 |
| 2022 | 101.1 |
| 2023 | 102.8 |
| 2024 | 100.2 |
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Amherst Town-Northampton, MA's index of 100.2.
Other MA Metros
Related Data for Amherst Town
Salary Data
BLS occupation wages for Amherst Town area
Fair Market Rents
HUD rent data for Amherst Town metro
Crime Rates
FBI UCR crime data near Amherst Town
School Districts
NCES school data for Amherst Town area
ZIP Code Data
Census demographics for Amherst Town area
Life Score
Quality-of-life composite rating
Relocation Guide
7-dimension relocation intelligence
Cost of Living Guides
Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Salary Negotiation Using RPP Data
Calculate real purchasing power for negotiations
Comparing Metro Areas
Step-by-step BEA RPP comparison walkthrough
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA? ▼
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 100.2, meaning it is 0.2% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 97.0, services at 155.7, and rents at 97.5. It ranks #84 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA to match $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $100,243 in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA. Conversely, $100K earned in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA has the purchasing power of $99,758 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA? ▼
Rents in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA are indexed at 97.5, which is 2.5% below the national average. This is close to the U.S. average.
Is Amherst Town-Northampton, MA getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Amherst Town-Northampton, MA's overall cost index changed by +0.5 points (from 99.7 to 100.2). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What costs the most in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA? ▼
The most expensive category in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA is services at 155.7, which is 55.7% above the national average. The most affordable category is goods at 97.0, 3.0% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Amherst Town-Northampton, MA? ▼
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Port St. Lucie, Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Amherst Town-Northampton, MA's 100.2.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (2024). Index where national average = 100.
Related
Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCost Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — cost-of-living indices by metro and state. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI) — inflation context by metro. bls.gov/cpi
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) — housing-cost component. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — wage component. bls.gov/oes
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS — household income + demographics. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
- IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) — tax-burden context. irs.gov/statistics
