Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Amherst, Virginia
A $213,000 home here costs
$1,634per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,095. The real number is $539 higher every month — 49% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Amherst against Amherst County and Virginia
| Measure | Amherst | Amherst County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $213,300 | $197,200 |
| Median property tax | $997 | $997 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.467% | 0.506% |
| Median gross rent | $686 | $842 |
| Population | 2,124 | 31,385 |
The weather behind that power bill
Amherst sits in Amherst County, which averages a high of 86.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 25.8°F in its coldest, with 42.76" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,115 cooling and 4,295 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Amherst County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Amherst County
Full Amherst County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Amherst?
A $213,000 home in Amherst, Virginia costs approximately $1,634 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,095 principal and interest, $83 property tax, $52 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $178 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Amherst?
Amherst has an effective property tax rate of 0.467%, based on a median home value of $213,300 and median real estate taxes of $997. That is lower than the Amherst County average of 0.506%.
What is the average home price in Amherst?
The median owner-occupied home value in Amherst, Virginia is $213,300, against $197,200 across Amherst County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Amherst?
Median gross rent in Amherst is $686 a month, against $1,634 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Amherst — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Virginia.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.