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Place dossier plate
SheetKY-ASHLAND-KY · Ashland, KY 21,405 pop · income 23rd pct · 15 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Ashland
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Ashland on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Mount Pleasant · lowest
39,924
Mount Pleasant · lowest
39,924 median HH income
21.0% of the leader · rank #1
Ashland · this city
52,199
Ashland · this city
52,199 median HH income
27.5% of the leader · rank #2
Daleville · near
52,202
Daleville · near
52,202 median HH income
27.5% of the leader · rank #3
Peck · near
52,204
Peck · near
52,204 median HH income
27.5% of the leader · rank #4
Pinetop-Lakes… · near
52,207
Pinetop-Lakes… · near
52,207 median HH income
27.5% of the leader · rank #5
Seneca · near
52,207
Seneca · near
52,207 median HH income
27.5% of the leader · rank #6
Granite Bay · highest
190,000
Granite Bay · highest
190,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Ashland on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 21,405.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
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
10th
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. The typical household in Ashland brings in $52,199 a 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 2703.3 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 $984 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 44.2 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Ashland's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to reported crime to population change to climate and hazard context to within-city variation to housing and income to comparison shortlist to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Ashland, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, local building permits, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for Ashland?
The NCES join finds 18 public schools within the city match. 24.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Ashland?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2703.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 19% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 15 Census tracts to this city.
Which cities make useful reference points for Ashland?
Within Kentucky, the closest population matches are Radcliff (22,967 residents, $60,976 income); Erlanger (19,677 residents, $78,420 income); Madisonville (19,442 residents, $56,902 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are New Hope, MN (21,402 residents); Mountlake Terrace, WA (21,419 residents); Mount Pleasant, MI (21,420 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Ashland growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -596 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 9 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-2.8%
2025 estimate
20,996
2020 estimate
21,592
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 53.8°F, with 46.7 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Kentucky is 44.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
53.8°F
Annual precipitation
46.7 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
44.2
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
How far does income reach against housing in Ashland?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$52,199
Home value
$125,300
Value / income
2.4×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What does the journey to work look like in Ashland?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 74.2%. The reported mean trip to work is 19.3 minutes.
Public transit
0.3%
Work from home
7.0%
Drive alone
74.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 8,676 workers age 16+.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A
90.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share D
24.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime D
200 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income F
$52,199
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
14.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Ashland profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 85/100 (A) · 90.2 index
Bachelor's+ share: 48/100 (D) · 24.6%
Violent crime: 48/100 (D) · 200 /100k
Household income: 23/100 (F) · $52,199
Poverty rate: 23/100 (F) · 14.7%
Where Ashland sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Ashland's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Ashland highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Ashland, KY (this city): home $125,300, crime 2,703/100k
New Hope, MN : home $314,600, crime 2,131/100k
Mountlake Terrace, WA : home $606,100, crime 2,385/100k
Mount Pleasant, MI : home $168,700, crime 1,453/100k
Anniston, AL : home $141,600, crime 5,211/100k
Secaucus, NJ : home $557,800, crime 3,788/100k
Radcliff, KY : home $163,300, crime 2,171/100k
Erlanger, KY : home $189,400, crime 595/100k
Madisonville, KY : home $152,300, crime 679/100k
Winchester, KY : home $180,400, crime 2,961/100k
Mount Washington, KY : home $253,700, crime 590/100k
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 income23% higher than other cities
Home value19% pricier than other cities
Median rent10% pricier than other cities
Safety19% 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
Each percentile compares Ashland against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Kentucky only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Kentucky-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Ashland near the bottom of Kentucky's cities
Among the 520 Kentucky cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Ashland ranks #1 - the 0th 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
#266 of 485
45th percentile in Kentucky
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 520
0th percentile in Kentucky
Median Home Value
#288 of 484
40th percentile in Kentucky
Poverty Rate
#212 of 519
59th percentile in Kentucky
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#191 of 520
63rd percentile in Kentucky
How in-state ranks are ordered
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 Kentucky only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
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.
How Ashland's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$125,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 81% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Ashland's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,486 of 15,516
More affordable than 78% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#281 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.4×, Ashland sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,486 of 15,516 and #281 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$52,199Ashland, KY median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Ashland, KY median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Ashland, KY.
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
2703.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
199.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2503.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Ashland's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
21,592 residents
2021
21,400 residents
2022
21,313 residents
2023
21,180 residents
2024
21,154 residents
2025
20,996 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
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
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
2
2
0
$0.3M
2020
3
3
0
$0.5M
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
1
1
0
$0.1M
2023
5
1
4
$0.6M
2024
9
3
6
$0.9M
Permit volume increased 350% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
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
Kentucky statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Kentucky at $225 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are Kentucky statewide averages, not a meter reading for Ashland. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Kentucky's BEA cost-of-living index is 90.2 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Ashland is $984/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Kentucky statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 44.2 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Kentucky statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Ashland sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Ashland compares to similar-size Kentucky cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
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.