Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 18,730, laid out in 1815.
Ashland gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $236K, 3.4 years of the Ashland area’s $70K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 338th of 987 graded towns in Ohio. On the plus side, its public schools beat 82% of Ohio towns on state tests and graduation. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 7 places on the National Register. 40% of working residents work locally in Ashland, against 6.8% in Ohio’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 112 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better. Ashland is home to Ashland University.
Where Ashland beats most towns.
Ashland County Courthouse
Census counts: 1,264 in 1850, 19,225 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1893 and 4 maps from 1908 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Ashland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ashland, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Ashland.
Ashland pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, draws workers from Mansfield and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
9.1 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. Ashland’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Sandusky Hollow Nature Preserve, 95 acres with 1.8 miles of trail.
| Ashland | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sandusky Hollow Nature Preserve | 1.8 mi | 95 |
| 2. Brookside Park | 0.8 mi | 30 |
| 3. Brookside West Park | 0.6 mi | 53 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A− for schools comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $236K.
Its public schools are run by the Ashland City school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 694 | A− |
| Ashland High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 910 | B |
| Taft Intermediate SchoolTop results in townGrades 4–5 | Grades 4–5 | 460 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
12,476 jobs are based in Ashland, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
17% of residents live below the poverty line in Ashland. Since 2013, Ashland has added 1,311 jobs, to 12,476 in 2023. The average trip to work in Ashland is 21 minutes.
| Ashland | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 8,921 U.S. towns with household incomes like Ashland’s, it is less healthy than 50%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Ashland beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 33% of Ashland adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Ashland | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Ashland | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Ashland has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 19° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 26% of residents (22% statewide). Ashland has lost 2.5% of its people since 2020, down to 18,730 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 24% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Ohio.
| Ashland | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.2 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 24% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
About 91 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2 points). Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Ashland | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.7% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.8% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.6% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.5% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.6% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.6% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.1% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.3% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Typical home values rose 4.7% in the year to September 2026.
| Ashland | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $893 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ashland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ashland. Close and well known come first.
11 mi MuseumOhio State Reformatory
16 mi State parkMalabar Farm State Park
30 mi MuseumAllen Memorial Art Museum
14 mi GardenKingwood Center
35 mi MuseumAmish & Mennonite Heritage Center
11 mi MuseumBibleWalkOhio State Reformatory: Niagara66, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Malabar Farm State Park: Jerward at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Allen Memorial Art Museum: Daderot, Public domain · Kingwood Center: Mar07 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center: photoswelike, CC BY-SA 2.0 · BibleWalk: JBTHEMILKER, CC BY-SA 4.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Ashland
About 8 of every 100 Ashland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
7 places in Ashland on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Ashland.
City in Ohio, US
Ashland is a city in Ashland County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is approximately 66 miles (106 km) southwest of Cleveland. The population was 19,225 at the 2020 census. It is the center of the Ashland Micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Ashland County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Ashland.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | #338 | B+ | A− | B− | A− | C |
| Montgomery Township | #342 | B+ | B | — | A− | C |
| Milton Township | — | — | A− | — | A− | C |
Milton Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Montgomery Township and Milton Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Ashland with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Ashland grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #338 of 987 in Ohio. It grades C for health, B− for safety and A− for schools.
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−.
15 notable people were born here, including Ernest Cline and Edmund G. Ross.
