City profile · Nebraska · Census ACS 2023

Ashland, NE

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.

3,083
Residents
$80,948
Median income
$229,100
Median home
$1,368
Median rent (state)

Ashland - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Ashland places in the 62nd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

62nd
percentile, household income
51st
percentile, home value
53rd
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, NE

Ashland is a small town in Nebraska, home to 3,083 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Ashland brings in $80,948 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.3%. Ashland's housing stock carries a median value of $229,100, and the median resident age is 36.6 years. Educational attainment runs 30.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 65.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 52 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 73% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Nebraska run below the national norm: the state registers 90.1 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 $1,368 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $207 across Nebraska, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 31.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

3,083 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Nebraska

Median Household Income

$80,948 /yr

Poverty 3.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Nebraska average

How does Ashland compare to other US cities?

Here's how Ashland stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 62% higher than other cities
Home value 51% pricier than other cities
Median rent 53% 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 Nebraska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Nebraska-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Ashland's strongest outlier among Nebraska cities

Among the 438 Nebraska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Ashland ranks #28 - the 94th 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
#75 of 439
83rd percentile in Nebraska
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 450
92nd percentile in Nebraska
Median Home Value
#28 of 438
94th percentile in Nebraska
Poverty Rate
#305 of 450
31st percentile in Nebraska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#61 of 450
86th percentile in Nebraska

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 Nebraska only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

62ndIncome percentile

62nd 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+)

$229,100 49th percentile more affordable than 49% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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, NE Ashland, NE's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ashland, NE-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, NE median $80,948/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, NE'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, NE. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 30.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.5%

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

Population
3,083
Median Income
$80,948
Median Home Value
$229,100
Median Age
36.6
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Labor force participation
65.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.2%

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 →
3,000 residents3,200 residents3,400 residents3,600 residents 202020212022202320242025 3,102 residents 3,483 residents ▲ +12.3%
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)
52
housing units authorized
Single-Family
46
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
16.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 30
2020 33
2021 33
2022 50
2023 21
2024 52

Permit volume increased 73% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
80.1%
Carpool
2.9%
Public Transit
3.4%
Walk
5.4%
Work from Home
7.1%
Other
1.1%

Based on 1,495 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

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

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$207
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,368/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
31.0 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Nebraska

Valley
3,113 people
Central City
3,039 people
Minden
3,020 people
David City
3,013 people
Dakota City
2,980 people
Hickman
2,834 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashland's 3,083 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Sandia Heights, NM
3,083 people
Tuxedo, NY
3,083 people
Shady Cove, OR
3,083 people
Mount Hope, NJ
3,082 people
Golden Grove, SC
3,084 people
Somerset, WI
3,084 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashland's $80,948 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Rover, AR
$80,948 median income
Fort Montgomery, NY
$80,946 median income
Okahumpka, FL
$80,938 median income
Stanton, IA
$80,938 median income
Yale, IA
$80,938 median income
Sunburst, MT
$80,938 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ashland, NE 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, NE - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 91.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.3% White 91.8% Black or African American 0.1% Asian 1.8% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 2.2% Two or more races 4.0% 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 Nebraska 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) 3,083 $80,948
Valley 3,113 $106,750
Central City 3,039 $62,012
Minden 3,020 $64,846
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NE NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ashland, NE?

What is the population of Ashland, NE? +

Ashland, NE counts 3,083 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Ashland runs $80,948, 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 Nebraska state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Nebraska vary by metro area.

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

Ashland's median home value sits at $229,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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

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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.