Amherst is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, home to about 12,906 people across 7.1 square miles. Its ZIP code is 44001.
Homes sold for a median of $173 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Amherst; also South Amherst and Lorain
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Amherst. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Amherst’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)21 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Cleveland, OH31 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL282 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Amherst; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Amherst had 12,681 residents in the 2020 census, up 7% since 2000.
It’s the 148th largest of 1,264 towns in Ohio by population.
Lorain County grew from 54,857 residents in 1900 to 312,964 in 2020.
Lorain County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 20°F. About 36.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Elyria Lorain Co Ap, OH weather station (4 miles away).
89,159 jobs at 5,664 businesses in Lorain County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
144 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Amherst.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 13 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 7 |
| Dentists | 14 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 19 |
| Mental health providers | 42 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 34 |
| Optometrists | 10 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 7 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Amherst Exempted Village. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powers Elementary SchoolAmherst | Pre-K–3 | 1,104 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| Walter G. Nord Middle SchoolAmherst | 4–5 | 556 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Amherst Junior High SchoolAmherst | 6–8 | 859 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Marion L Steele High SchoolAmherst | 9–12 | 1,014 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Joseph Elementary SchoolAmherst | Pre-K–8 | 181 | Roman Catholic | 3.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with South Amherst and Lorain.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.