City profile · Alabama · Census ACS 2023

Ashford, AL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Ashford - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

2,438
Residents
$61,087
Median income
$167,500
Median home
$950
Median rent (state)

Ashford - the verdict

Ashford ranks in the 37th percentile for household income and the 83rd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

37th
percentile, household income
33rd
percentile, home value
10th
percentile, median rent
83rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Ashford, AL

Alabama's Ashford is a small town, with 2,438 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $61,087 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.3%. Home values in Ashford run a median of $167,500, and the median resident age is 37.4 years. About 15.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 52.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 32 residential building permits were authorized in Ashford (Building Boom), up 300% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Ashford reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 551.6 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Alabama run below the national norm: the state registers 88.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $950 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Alabama's average monthly utility costs around $245 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 87.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

2,438 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Alabama

Median Household Income

$61,087 /yr

Poverty 11.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average

How does Ashford compare to other US cities?

Where Ashford sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 37% higher than other cities
Home value 33% pricier than other cities
Median rent 10% pricier than other cities
Safety 83% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Alabama and the picture shifts: Ashford ranks #28 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Ashford's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Alabama, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

37thIncome percentile
83rdSafety percentile

37th percentile nationally for median household income · 83rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Ashford's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Ashford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 66 Avg. percentile National median
Ashford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Ashford's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$167,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 67% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Ashford $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Ashford, AL Ashford, AL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ashford, AL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Ashford, AL median $61,087/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Ashford, AL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Ashford, AL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 52.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,438
Median Income
$61,087
Median Home Value
$167,500
Median Age
37.4
Poverty Rate
11.3%
Labor force participation
52.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
551.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
84.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
466.7
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,200 residents2,300 residents2,400 residents2,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,258 residents 2,470 residents ▲ +9.4%
Ashford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
32
housing units authorized
Single-Family
32
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
13.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 8
2020 10
2021 11
2022 34
2023 28
2024 32

Permit volume increased 300% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
85.0%
Carpool
10.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
2.4%
Other
1.5%

Based on 988 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Alabama - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$138
avg/month
Natural Gas
$62
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$245
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Alabama state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Alabama state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Ashford sits in

Cost of Living Index
88.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$950/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
87.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Alabama

Guin
2,469 people
Lipscomb
2,407 people
Abbeville
2,470 people
Greensboro
2,390 people
Brookwood
2,489 people
Creola
2,489 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashford's 2,438 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Lake Placid, FL
2,438 people
Sky Valley, CA
2,437 people
Claxton, GA
2,439 people
Lafourche Crossing, LA
2,439 people
Plattsburg, MO
2,437 people
Hughesville, PA
2,439 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashford's $61,087 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

New Holstein, WI
$61,086 median income
Stratford, CA
$61,090 median income
Apalachicola, FL
$61,083 median income
Inman, KS
$61,083 median income
Quinter, KS
$61,083 median income
Tuba, AZ
$61,092 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ashford, AL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Ashford, AL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 69.8% 26.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.9% White 69.8% Black or African American 26.0% Asian 0.1% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.6% Two or more races 3.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Ashford compares to nearby Alabama cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Ashford (this city) 2,438 $61,087
Guin 2,469 $47,358
Lipscomb 2,407 $45,792
Abbeville 2,470 $32,778
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AL FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ashford, AL?

What is the population of Ashford, AL? +

The population of Ashford, AL stands at 2,438 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Ashford, AL? +

In Ashford, the typical household earns $61,087 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ashford? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ashford; the closest available measure is the Alabama state average, a cost of living index of 88.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Alabama vary by metro area.

Is Ashford, AL safe? +

Ashford has a total crime rate of 551.6 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Ashford, AL? +

A typical home in Ashford is worth $167,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.