Photo: Rivers Langley · CC BY-SA 4.0Ashland spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities
Ashland’s city government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $850 per resident.
What stands out about how Ashland is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$850 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them
Ashland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($850 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $425, and the middle half spent $186–$701. Ashland spent more than 81% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ashland itself left out).
About $850 per resident a year, or $2.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 41%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ashland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $535 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.34% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Ashland’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Ashland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ashland →
Who’s in charge in Ashland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ashland’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofashland.net ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 99 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,872).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Clay County School District
Ashland’s K–12 school district, shared with Lineville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,865 per pupil, $7,040 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Ashland’s votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ashland alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clay County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican84.7%5,734 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat14.7%993 votesOthers: 0.6% (40 votes).
Most votes in Clay County: Donald J Trump
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
100% of Ashland lies in Clay County. Every 2024 race in Clay County is on the county’s page.
Clay County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Ashland.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofashland.net ↗
- 2Alabama HouseState representatives
- 3Alabama SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Ashland’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ashland’s government
How much does Ashland spend per resident?
About $850 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $850 was more than 81% of 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ashland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $535 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.34% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofashland.net.
Who runs Ashland’s government?
See cityofashland.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ashland yet.
How did Ashland vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ashland alone. Clay County, where 100% of Ashland lies, voted Trump 84.7%, Harris 14.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ashland?
19 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $71,420 (about $857,040 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Ashland in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Randy Price) and State House District 35 (Steve Hurst). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ashland’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →