City profile · Kentucky · Census ACS 2023

Ashland, KY

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.

21,405
Residents
$52,199
Median income
$125,300
Median home
$973
Median rent (state)

Ashland - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Ashland lands in the 23rd percentile for household income and the 19th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

23rd
percentile, household income
19th
percentile, home value
12th
percentile, median rent
19th
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: Ashland, KY

Ashland is a small city in Kentucky, home to 21,405 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $52,199 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 14.7%. Home values in Ashland run a median of $125,300, and the median resident age is 41.1 years. Educational attainment runs 24.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 51.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 9 residential building permits were authorized in Ashland (Building Boom), up 350% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2703.4 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 53.8°F with 46.7 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in Kentucky run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Kentucky scores 90.2 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $973 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Kentucky, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 19.3 minutes, with 74.2% driving alone and 7.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 74.9 out of 100 (High).

Population

21,405 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kentucky

Median Household Income

$52,199 /yr

Poverty 14.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.2 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kentucky average

How does Ashland compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 23% higher than other cities
Home value 19% pricier than other cities
Median rent 12% pricier than other cities
Safety 19% safer than other cities

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

Zoom in to just Kentucky and the picture shifts: Ashland ranks #166 of 181 Kentucky 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 Ashland'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 Kentucky, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

23rdIncome percentile
19thSafety percentile

23rd percentile nationally for median household income · 19th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Ashland's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Ashland'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 42 Avg. percentile National median
Ashland'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 Ashland's home value compares nationally

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

$125,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 81% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $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. 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, KY Ashland, KY's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ashland, KY-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, KY median $52,199/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, KY'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, KY. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.0%

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

Population
21,405
Median Income
$52,199
Median Home Value
$125,300
Median Age
41.1
Poverty Rate
14.7%
Labor force participation
51.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2703.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
199.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2503.5
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
53.8°F
Annual Precipitation
46.7"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
18
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
20,800 residents21,000 residents21,200 residents21,400 residents21,600 residents21,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 21,592 residents 20,996 residents ▼ -2.8%
Ashland's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
9
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 3
2021 0
2022 1
2023 5
2024 9

Permit volume increased 350% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
19.3 minutes
Drive Alone
74.2%
Carpool
12.2%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
4.9%
Work from Home
7.0%
Other
1.4%

Based on 8,676 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

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

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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
90.2
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$973/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
74.9 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kentucky

Radcliff
22,967 people
Erlanger
19,677 people
Madisonville
19,442 people
Winchester
19,133 people
Mount Washington
18,228 people
Burlington
18,090 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashland's 21,405 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

New Hope, MN
21,402 people
Mountlake Terrace, WA
21,419 people
Mount Pleasant, MI
21,420 people
Granite Bay, CA
21,378 people
Anniston, AL
21,377 people
Secaucus, NJ
21,437 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashland's $52,199 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Daleville, IN
$52,202 median income
Peck, MI
$52,204 median income
Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
$52,207 median income
Seneca, SC
$52,207 median income
Grayling, AK
$52,188 median income
Traver, CA
$52,188 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ashland, KY 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, KY - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 92.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.3% White 92.0% Black or African American 1.5% Asian 0.5% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.9% Two or more races 4.1% 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 Kentucky 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) 21,405 $52,199
Radcliff 22,967 $60,976
Erlanger 19,677 $78,420
Madisonville 19,442 $56,902
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KY FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ashland, KY?

What is the population of Ashland, KY? +

Ashland, KY counts 21,405 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

In Ashland, the typical household earns $52,199 per year, 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 Kentucky state average, a cost of living index of 90.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Kentucky vary by metro area.

Is Ashland, KY safe? +

Ashland has a total crime rate of 2703.4 per 100,000 residents, which is near 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 Ashland, KY? +

Homes in Ashland carry a median value of $125,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Ashland? +

Climate normals put Ashland's yearly average temperature at 53.8°F, 46.7 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.