Dude at rodeo. Ashland, Montana, 1941
Ashland’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1941.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1881Ashland is established
AshlandMT
A town of 959, established in 1881.
Population
959
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$85K
Census ACS
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
37.3
years
Jobs based here
310
Balanced
Is Ashland a good place to live?
Ashland’s trail network density is 1.8 miles per square mile, above both Montana’s towns (0.6) and U.S. towns (0.4). Cheever-Cain Ranch and Shy Brothers Mercantile is on the National Register of Historic Places. Ashland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
959 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
Moving to Ashland: who provides what
Ashland is unincorporated, so Rosebud County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerTongue River Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterAshland Community Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers31% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRosebud CountyRosebud County provides services here
SchoolsAshland Elementary School DistrictLame Deer High School District2 districts serve Ashland; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteIn personMontana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereRosebud County Election AdministratorRosebud County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code5900359003 100%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.
Natural hazards
Ashland stands out in Montana and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
FEMA puts 44% of Ashland’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 31% to wildfires. One declared disaster, in 2011, has brought federal aid to Ashland households. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 93% of U.S. communities.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Ashland’s kids attend
Public schools: the Ashland Elementary District. Of its 5 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. 2 public schools serve Ashland, with 84 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 71 | D− |
| St. Labre Schools PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 466 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Ashland: snowy winters and hot summers
Only 2 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a higher typical July afternoon high than Ashland. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 10° and about 40 inches of snow falls in a winter.
40″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–37°
Spring31–59°
Summer53–85°
Fall31–61°
Sep 22
typical first frost
May 18
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Ashland is younger than the Montana average
Four-year graduates: 27% of adults 25 and older here, 35% across Montana. People 65 and older are 13% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 41% of residents (37% statewide). Among residents in Ashland, 24% are under 18, against 22% in Montana’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns.
37.3median age · MT 40.4
| Ashland | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.3 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 30% | 29% |
AshlandMontanaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school41%
Some college14%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s12%
Graduate15%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9 points. Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Ashland | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.9% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.8% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.1% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.1% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.7% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.4% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.2% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.6% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.8% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.7% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.2% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.1% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.9% | 12% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
A larger share of residents live below the poverty line in Ashland than in most of Montana or the rest of the country
For half of commuters, work is under 20 miles away. The median household income for Ashland comes to $46,000. Jobs locally fell by 136 from 2013 to 2023, to 310. The top destinations are Lame Deer (30%), Forsyth (7%) and Billings (7%).
13%work in town
| Ashland | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 30% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 39% | 8% |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Ashland13%
Lame Deer30%
Forsyth7%
Billings7%
Colstrip3%
20 mi
median commute distance
310
jobs based in Ashland
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Ashland is
Among 42 Montana towns, just one has a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Ashland. Of 32 CDC measures, Ashland beats the Montana average on 1 and trails it on 25. 21% of adults report frequent physical distress locally.
| Ashland | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Montana
1 better6 too close to call25 worse
| What stands out | Ashland | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.5% | 9.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 36.6% | 11.7% |
P H S Indian Hospital Crow / Northern Cheyenne
48.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Ashland keeps 1.2% of its land conserved
36 miles of trail. Among 43 Montana towns, just 3 have a lower share of conserved land than Ashland.
1.2%conserved
1.2%
conserved · 153 of 13,140 acres
36 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ashland
16pages on Ashland
The big questions
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ashland; the nearest are
Chief Dull Knife CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lame Deer17.8 mi$1,960 in-state tuitionMontana State University BillingsUniversity or college · Public · Billings108.3 mi$7,280 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Ashland residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
About Ashland
CDP in Montana, United States
Ashland is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rosebud County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ashland had a population of 773. Ashland is immediately east of the boundary of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation and also along the Tongue River. It is the location of the St. Labre Indian Catholic High School, established in 1884 as a boarding school by a Catholic mission to the Cheyenne. The town was established in 1881 and called Straders after the first postmaster. The name was changed to Ashland in 1886.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 21 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,920 ft
- ZIP code
- 59003, 59004
- Area code
- 406
Questions about Ashland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ashland, MT a good place to live?
Ashland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.