Is Amherst Town cheaper than Bellingham?

Amherst Town is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 3% below Bellingham's (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Which has higher household income, Amherst Town or Bellingham?

Bellingham has the higher median household income — $86,162 versus $81,732 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 5% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Amherst Town or Bellingham?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($81,534 versus $83,382).

Which has cheaper rent, Amherst Town or Bellingham?

Amherst Town has cheaper rent — a median of $1,425/mo versus $1,569/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Amherst Town vs Bellingham

Metro-area medians — Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Metro Area vs Bellingham, WA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Amherst Town comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Amherst Town is about 3% cheaper to live in, while Bellingham households earn about 5% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Amherst Town is more educated — 54.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree versus 42%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Amherst Town, MA

$57,564

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$57,424

real value after local prices

Bellingham, WA

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$59,335

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Bellingham leaves you about $1,911/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Amherst Town

Bellingham

Livability (CityLedger)

62/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

100.2

103.3

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$81,534

$83,382

Median household income

$81,732

$86,162

Median rent

$1,425/mo

$1,569/mo

Median home value

$413,400

$627,800

Unemployment

4.2%

Bachelor's degree or higher

54.6%

42%

Average commute

22.6 min

20.6 min

Air quality (median AQI)

—

Avg temperature

49°F

50°F

Choose Amherst Town for

+ Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
+ Median rent
+ Median home value
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Amherst Town profile →

Choose Bellingham for

+ Median household income
+ Average commute

Full Bellingham profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Amherst Town and Bellingham on cost, income, size, and education.

Amherst Town vs Burlington→Amherst Town vs Charlottesville→Amherst Town vs State College→Bellingham vs Bend→Bellingham vs Burlington→Bellingham vs St. George→

Amherst Town vs Bellingham — frequently asked

Is Amherst Town cheaper than Bellingham?: Amherst Town is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 3% below Bellingham's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Amherst Town or Bellingham?: Bellingham has the higher median household income — $86,162 versus $81,732 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 5% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Amherst Town or Bellingham?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($81,534 versus $83,382).
Which has cheaper rent, Amherst Town or Bellingham?: Amherst Town has cheaper rent — a median of $1,425/mo versus $1,569/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).