Ashland Illinois - aerial, 2025
Ashland’s story
169 years in pictures
Census counts: 203 in 1870, 1,218 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2025 and 2 maps from 1936 on.
- 1857Ashland is settled
AshlandIL
A town of 1,162, settled in 1857.
Photo: Tedder · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,162
2025 Census estimate · −4.8% since 2020
Typical home
$140K
+8.3% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
39.3
years
Jobs based here
187
A commuter town
Is Ashland a good place to live?
Ashland’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a C− for health. On cost of living, just 85 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns do better. Ashland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Ashland stand out
Where Ashland beats most towns.
Typical home value
Ashland$140K
Illinois$296K
Cost of livingA+
2.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 95% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Ashland7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA−
2.1 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Small town
1,162 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Ashland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Ashland is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →HealthLess healthy than 80% of U.S. towns; Jacksonville Memorial Hospital 16.5 miles awayC−Open →Hazard riskcold waves tops the listCOpen →SchoolsBehind 67% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 5.3% of households have no car; 2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsC−Open →History2 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.3; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ashland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ashland, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAshland water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ashland’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCass County ClerkCass County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6261262612 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ashland.
HousingCost of living grade A+
Ashland stands out in Illinois and nationally: the median rent there is lower
Ashland’s median rent is $571 a month, where Illinois’ towns sit at $1,129 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. Typical home values rose 8.3% in the year to September 2026. 84% of households own their home in Ashland.
$140KZillow home value
| Ashland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $571 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Ashland$140K
Illinois$296K
+8.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC−
A larger share of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Ashland than in most of Illinois or the rest of the country
25% of Ashland adults have been diagnosed with depression, above both Illinois’ towns (22%) and U.S. towns (23%). 41% of Ashland adults have obesity. Ashland beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
21%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Ashland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Ashland | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 6.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.6% | 10.3% |
| More smokers | 18.3% | 12.1% |
Jacksonville Memorial Hospital
16.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Ashland has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Ashland for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Ashland fell to 187 in 2023, 56 fewer than in 2013. Ashland’s median household income is $68,000.
6%work in town
| Ashland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Ashland6%
Springfield30%
Jacksonville7%
Beardstown3%
Mount Sterling2%
20 mi
median commute distance
187
jobs based in Ashland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 57% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Ashland
Ashland has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 19° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–38°
Spring42–64°
Summer63–85°
Fall44–66°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Ashland faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 2002, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ashland.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingDrought
4
paid flood claims since 2002
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Crime reported in Ashland
Ashland's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. The property crime rate in Ashland is 0 per 1,000 residents. No violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Ashland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Ashland0
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Ashland0
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 473 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. James Park | — | 3 |
| 2. West Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 16 attractions →Lincoln Tomb and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ashland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi LandmarkLincoln Tomb
20 mi National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic Site124K visitors a year
11 mi MuseumLincoln's New Salem20 mi National MonumentSpringfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
20 mi MuseumOld State Capitol State Historic Site
32 mi MuseumDickson MoundsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lincoln Tomb: David Jones, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Lincoln Home National Historic Site: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lincoln's New Salem: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Old State Capitol State Historic Site: Shadow2700 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Dickson Mounds: MattHucke, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ashland
20pages on Ashland
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 67% of IL districtsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than IL on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$140K typical home · up 8.3% in a yearWork & commuteB−$68K median household income · 187 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 67% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ashland; the nearest are
Illinois CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Jacksonville16.7 mi$38,676 tuitionUniversity of Illinois SpringfieldUniversity or college · Public · Springfield23.5 mi$12,252 in-state tuitionLincoln Land Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Springfield24 mi$3,744 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Ashland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Ashland for work
Where Ashland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
187jobs based in Ashland
6%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ashland
Village in Cass County, Illinois, United States
Ashland is a village in Cass County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,218 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 623 ft
- ZIP code
- 62612
Questions about Ashland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ashland, IL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
What is Ashland, IL known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Paul Swan and Robert Falls.