City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Ashland, VA

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.

7,667
Residents
$65,000
Median income
$272,600
Median home
$1,655
Median rent (state)

Ashland - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Ashland places in the 43rd percentile for household income and the 19th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

43rd
percentile, household income
60th
percentile, home value
65th
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, VA

7,667 people live in Ashland, Virginia - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Ashland brings in $65,000 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.2%. Ashland's housing stock carries a median value of $272,600, and the median resident age is 30.7 years. About 34.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2695.2 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Ashland's yearly average temperature at 57.5°F with 45.3 inches of precipitation per year and 14.7 inches of snowfall.

Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Virginia at 101.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,655 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 53.5 out of 100 (Low).

Population

7,667 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Virginia

Median Household Income

$65,000 /yr

Poverty 14.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

101.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia 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 43% higher than other cities
Home value 60% pricier than other cities
Median rent 65% 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 Virginia and the picture shifts: Ashland ranks #86 of 117 Virginia 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 Virginia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Virginia-relative analysis

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

Among the 616 Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Ashland ranks #134 - the 78th 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
#323 of 558
42nd percentile in Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#203 of 619
60th percentile in Virginia
Median Home Value
#260 of 567
54th percentile in Virginia
Poverty Rate
#134 of 616
78th percentile in Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#229 of 618
63rd percentile in Virginia

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

43rdIncome percentile
19thSafety percentile

43rd 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 33 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+)

$272,600 40th percentile more affordable than 40% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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, VA Ashland, VA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ashland, VA-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, VA median $65,000/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, VA'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, VA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 34.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.5%

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

Population
7,667
Median Income
$65,000
Median Home Value
$272,600
Median Age
30.7
Poverty Rate
14.2%
Labor force participation
56.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2695.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
594.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2100.5
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
57.5°F
Annual Precipitation
45.3"
Annual Snowfall
14.7"

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
7,400 residents7,600 residents7,800 residents8,000 residents8,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 7,607 residents 7,982 residents ▲ +4.9%
Ashland's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
74.6%
Carpool
5.5%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
7.0%
Work from Home
10.6%
Other
2.0%

Based on 3,651 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

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

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Virginia 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 Virginia 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
101.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,655/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
53.5 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Virginia

Collinsville
7,645 people
Farmville
7,613 people
Laurel Hill
7,551 people
Bull Run CDP (Fairfax County)
7,513 people
North Springfield
7,511 people
Mantua
7,447 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashland's 7,667 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Seward, NE
7,665 people
Ludington, MI
7,664 people
Thousand Palms, CA
7,662 people
Inverness, FL
7,672 people
Gold River, CA
7,661 people
New Albany, MS
7,661 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ashland's $65,000 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Athens, AL
$65,000 median income
Sweet Water, AL
$65,000 median income
Graeagle, CA
$65,000 median income
Pensacola Station, FL
$65,000 median income
Carnesville, GA
$65,000 median income
Honalo, HI
$65,000 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ashland, VA 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, VA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 64.4% 20.2% 8.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 11.0% White 64.4% Black or African American 20.2% Asian 1.7% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 8.0% Two or more races 5.6% 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 Virginia 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) 7,667 $65,000
Collinsville 7,645 $50,465
Farmville 7,613 $40,282
Laurel Hill 7,551 $139,803
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ashland, VA?

What is the population of Ashland, VA? +

The population of Ashland, VA stands at 7,667 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

In Ashland, the typical household earns $65,000 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 Virginia state average, a cost of living index of 101.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Virginia vary by metro area.

Is Ashland, VA safe? +

Ashland has a total crime rate of 2695.2 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, VA? +

A typical home in Ashland is worth $272,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Ashland? +

The average annual temperature in Ashland runs 57.5°F, 45.3 inches of precipitation, and 14.7 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.