City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Ashland, CA

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

22,784
Residents
$81,604
Median income
$695,300
Median home
$2,912
Median rent (state)

Ashland - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Ashland lands in the 63rd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

63rd
percentile, household income
93rd
percentile, home value
97th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Ashland, CA

22,784 people live in Ashland, California - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Ashland households earn a median of $81,604 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 13.5%. Home values in Ashland run a median of $695,300, and the median resident age is 36.0 years. Educational attainment runs 20.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 63.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,912 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Ashland workers runs 29.2 minutes, with 71.0% driving alone and 7.4% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 99.8 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

22,784 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$81,604 /yr

Poverty 13.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Ashland compare to other US cities?

Ashland measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 63% higher than other cities
Home value 93% pricier than other cities
Median rent 97% pricier than other cities

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

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Ashland against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

California-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Ashland toward the top of California's cities

Among the 1,450 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Ashland ranks #344 - the 76th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ashland only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#753 of 1,338
44th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#352 of 1,458
71st percentile in California
Median Home Value
#450 of 1,343
66th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#344 of 1,450
76th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#878 of 1,458
40th percentile in California

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

63rdIncome percentile

63rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Ashland's home value compares nationally

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

$695,300 7th percentile more affordable than 7% 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%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Ashland $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 - Ashland, CA Ashland, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ashland, CA-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 Ashland, CA median $81,604/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%
Ashland, CA'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 Ashland, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 13.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.2%

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

Population
22,784
Median Income
$81,604
Median Home Value
$695,300
Median Age
36.0
Poverty Rate
13.5%
Labor force participation
63.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.8%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
29.2 minutes
Drive Alone
71.0%
Carpool
11.2%
Public Transit
6.4%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
7.4%
Other
3.4%

Based on 11,336 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

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

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California 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 California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Ashland sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,912/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Laguna Beach
22,777 people
Ramona
22,829 people
Calabasas
22,869 people
Corcoran
22,626 people
Millbrae
22,589 people
West Rancho Dominguez
22,560 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashland's 22,784 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Bonney Lake, WA
22,776 people
Rotterdam, NY
22,798 people
Cataño zona urbana, PR
22,768 people
Christiansburg, VA
22,820 people
Machesney Park, IL
22,744 people
Martha Lake, WA
22,740 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashland's $81,604 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Lindale, TX
$81,603 median income
Strasburg, CO
$81,607 median income
Central City, IA
$81,607 median income
Mountain Iron, MN
$81,607 median income
Courtdale, PA
$81,607 median income
Buffalo, SD
$81,607 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ashland, CA 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 Ashland, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 17.3% 19.2% 22.5% 27.9% 11.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 45.4% White 17.3% Black or African American 19.2% Asian 22.5% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 1.3% Some other race 27.9% Two or more races 11.3% 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 Ashland compares to nearby California cities

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

City Population Median Household Income
Ashland (this city) 22,784 $81,604
Laguna Beach 22,777 $140,508
Ramona 22,829 $101,023
Calabasas 22,869 $157,938
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ashland, CA?

What is the population of Ashland, CA? +

Ashland, CA has a population of 22,784 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Ashland, CA? +

Median annual household income in Ashland runs $81,604, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ashland? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ashland; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Ashland, CA? +

A typical home in Ashland is worth $695,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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

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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.