Bigelow Bridge, 2003
Ashford’s story
Ashford in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2003.
Explore the history →AshfordNY
A town of 1,918.
Population
1,918
2025 Census estimate · −2.6% since 2020
Median home value
$195K
Census ACS
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
52.3
years
Jobs based here
506
A commuter town
Is Ashford a good place to live?
Ashford’s best subject grade is a B for health; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. Ashford’s median age is 52.3 years, where New York’s towns sit at 43 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Among 751 New York towns, just 5 have a lower median rent than Ashford. Only 110 of New York’s 1,187 towns score lower on civic life. Ashford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Ashford for work
Where Ashford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
506jobs based in Ashford
7%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Ashford grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Ashford is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.4 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthBertrand Chaffee Hospital 3.8 miles awayBOpen →Jobs & income$78K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6% conserved landC+Open →History2 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ashford: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ashford, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid19.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAshford West Valley Town Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ashford’s trash rules yet
SchoolsWest Valley Central School DistrictSpringville-Griffith Institute Central School2 districts serve Ashford; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCattaraugus County Board of ElectionsCattaraugus County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP codes14171, 14141, 1410114171 84% · 14141 14% · 14101 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ashford.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Ashford’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Ashford for work: only 7% work in town. At 30 minutes, Ashford’s average trip to work is against 25 minutes in New York’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Ashford has added 81 jobs, to 506 in 2023.
7%work in town
| Ashford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.8% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Ashford7%
Concord13%
Little Valley6%
Ellicottville5%
Orchard Park4%
20 mi
median commute distance
506
jobs based in Ashford
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Ashford’s schools trail 51% of New York districts
Its public schools are run by the West Valley Central School District. Its one school is below.
49%of NY districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Valley Central SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 186 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Ashford
Ashford has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Ashford’s July high is 79°F.
109″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–33°
Spring32–55°
Summer54–78°
Fall39–59°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 14
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Ashford
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ashford.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
11
paid flood claims since 1978
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB
Residents of Ashford are healthier than 61% of U.S. towns
Ashford beats the New York average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 82% of adults had a checkup this year in Ashford.
61%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Ashford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 81% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 23% |
32 measures vs. New York
6 better19 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Ashford | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12% | 17.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.3% | 6% |
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital
3.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC+
Ashford has set aside 6.1% of its land for conservation
15 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
6.1%conserved
| Ashford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.1% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
6.1%
conserved · 1,980 of 32,699 acres
15 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B−
The median home in Ashford sells for about $200K
92% of Ashford households own their home.
$200Kmedian sale price
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 55 attractions →Highmark Stadium and 30 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ashford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaHighmark Stadium
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaRalph Wilson Stadium
18 mi WaterfallEternal Flame Falls
31 mi Stadium & arenaKeyBank Center
32 mi MuseumUSS The Sullivans
32 mi Stadium & arenaSahlen FieldSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Highmark Stadium: James161723, CC0 · Ralph Wilson Stadium: User Evilarry on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Eternal Flame Falls: Mpmajewski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · KeyBank Center: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS The Sullivans: Unknown, Public domain · Sahlen Field: Quintinsoloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0
_underway_at_sea_on_29_October_1962_(USN_1063617).jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ashford
19pages on Ashford
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ashford; the nearest are
Hilbert CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hamburg22.5 mi$33,740 tuitionErie Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Buffalo31.6 mi$6,100 in-state tuitionSUNY at FredoniaUniversity or college · Public · Fredonia35 mi$8,831 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Ashford residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
About Ashford
Town in New York, United States
Ashford is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,974 at the 2020 census. The town is on the county's northern border.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 51 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,381 ft
Ashford’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Ashford.
ConcordEast OttoSardiniaYorkshireEllicottvilleMachiasAshford
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford | — | — | B− | — | B− | B |
| Concord | #301 | B | B− | — | B | B+ |
| East Otto | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sardinia | #211 | B+ | A− | — | B− | B+ |
| Yorkshire | #627 | C− | B− | — | B | C |
| Ellicottville | — | — | C | — | C+ | B |
| Machias | — | — | B | — | B | C− |
Ashford, Ellicottville and Machias have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Ashford, Concord, Sardinia, Yorkshire, Ellicottville and Machias report no FBI crime data of their own. East Otto isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Ashford with a neighbor →
Questions about Ashford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ashford, NY expensive?
That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($59,540 across the Olean, NY area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.