Ashland in Alameda County, 2005
Ashland’s story
Ashland in pictures
Census counts: 14,810 in 1970, 23,823 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 8 maps from 1899 on.
Explore the history →AshlandCA
A town of 22,210.
Population
22,210
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$776K
Census ACS
Household income
$82K
median
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
3,229
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#500 of 841 in CA
Is Ashland a good place to live?
Ashland's standout: it is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C−, 500th among California's 841 graded towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. 35% of households live in a home they own in Ashland, against 64% in California’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The typical home is worth about $776K, 5.7 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income.
What makes Ashland stand out
Where Ashland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Ashland for work
Where Ashland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,229jobs based in Ashland
3%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Ashland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Ashland is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for hazard risk (better than 7%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 13 of 20; 12.2% of households have no carA+Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →HealthEden Medical Center 1.6 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsC+Open →Jobs & income$82K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 253 attractions →Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and 225 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ashland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw12 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw18 mi LandmarkLombard StreetSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Ashland: who provides what
Ashland is unincorporated, so Alameda County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEBMUDNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAlameda CountyAlameda County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAlameda Registrar of VotersAlameda County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes94578, 94580, 9454194578 58% · 94580 33% · 94541 9%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ashland.
Ashland has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, is mostly renters and has added half again as many jobs in ten years.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Ashland has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
Expected losses in Ashland break down as 71% from earthquakes and 28% from inland flooding. Since 1998, one flood insurance claim has been paid locally.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 1998
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Ashland fall behind 58% of California districts
Two of the 7 schools are below, and why each made the list. The largest public high school is San Lorenzo High, with 1,029 students. Public schools: the San Lorenzo Unified school district.
42%of CA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hesperian ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 500 | – |
| San Lorenzo HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,029 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With only 0.3 jobs per working resident, most people in Ashland work out of town
Jobs based here grew from 2,123 in 2013 to 3,229.
For most workers, Ashland is a place to come home to: only 3% work in town. Employers in Ashland added 1,106 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 3,229. The mean commuting time for Ashland comes to 33 minutes. The top destinations are Oakland (14%), San Francisco (10%) and Hayward (8%).
3%work in town
| Ashland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Ashland3%
Oakland14%
San Francisco10%
Hayward8%
San Leandro7%
14 mi
median commute distance
3,229
jobs based in Ashland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Ashland has mild winters and pleasant summers
January nights average 41.1°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 79.6°.
In Ashland, the typical July afternoon high is 80°F. It almost never snows.
80°summer high
| Ashland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 80°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 41°F | 40°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter42–59°
Spring47–69°
Summer55–79°
Fall50–73°
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
80°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Ashland is less healthy than 58% of U.S. towns
In Ashland, 13% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Of 32 CDC measures, Ashland beats the California average on 4 and trails it on 16. Among adults locally, 70% had a checkup this year and 26% worry about having enough food.
42%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Ashland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. California
4 better12 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Ashland | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.1% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.1% | 7.3% |
Eden Medical Center
1.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
30th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC
Protected land: 0.5% of Ashland
Ashland’s density of trails comes in at 0.1 miles per square mile. In 4 parks and preserves, walkers have 0.2 miles of trail.
0.5%conserved
| Ashland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
0.5%
conserved · 5 of 1,174 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ashland Grove Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Jack Holland Sr. Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
| 3. Fairmont Drive Linear Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D
Homes in Ashland sell for about $798K
Ashland’s rent at the middle of the market stands at $2,110 a month. On the market locally: a median 50 days to sell.
$798Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
50
days on market
102.1%
sale-to-list price
6
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ashland
17pages on Ashland
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
21 within 15 miles of the center of Ashland
Chabot CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hayward3.6 mi$1,150 in-state tuitionLife Chiropractic College WestUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hayward3.9 miCalifornia State University-East BayUniversity or college · Public · Hayward4.2 mi$7,583 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Ashland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About Ashland
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Ashland is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 23,823 at the 2020 census. Ashland is located in the historic Eden Township between the city of San Leandro to the north, the unincorporated community of Cherryland to the south, the unincorporated community of Castro Valley to the east, and the unincorporated community of San Lorenzo to the southwest. Ashland shares a ZIP code with the neighboring unincorporated community of San Lorenzo to the southwest, as well as the nearby cities of Hayward to the south and San Leandro to the north. Ashland has been informally, albeit incorrectly, known as "unincorpora…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 43 ft
- Area code
- 510
Ashland’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Ashland.
CherrylandSan LeandroCastro ValleySan LorenzoAshland
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | #500 | C− | D | — | C+ | C+ |
| Cherryland | #506 | C− | C− | — | C | C+ |
| San Leandro | #485 | C− | D | D | B− | B+ |
| Castro Valley | #51 | A− | D− | — | A | A− |
| San Lorenzo | #239 | B− | C− | — | C+ | B+ |
Ashland, Cherryland, Castro Valley and San Lorenzo report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Ashland with a neighbor →
Questions about Ashland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ashland, CA a good place to live?
Ashland grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #500 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Ashland, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $776,000, 2% above the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.