Most of Amherst is in Hampshire County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $48.13 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 3 ZIP codes in Amherst with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,460 to $2,120 a month. At the middle rent, $1,710, a full-time job would need to pay $58.54 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01002 | Hampshire County | $1,710/mo | $58.54/hr |
| 01003 | Hampshire County | $2,120/mo | $74.68/hr |
| 01004 | Hampshire County | $1,460/mo | $48.90/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Amherst needs to pay at least $48.13 an hour before taxes, about $100,119 a year. That is the figure for Hampshire County, where the typical studio rent is $1,440 a month.
Yes. Across the 3 ZIP codes in Amherst with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,460 to $2,120 a month. At the middle rent of $1,710, the pay needed would be $58.54 an hour.
The minimum wage in Hampshire County is $15.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.2 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads