Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Ashtabula gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $156K, 2.2 years of the Cleveland metro’s $71K median household income. It grades C− overall, 883rd of 987 graded towns in Ohio. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country, and the median household income is $44K, and 30% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 9 places on the National Register. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in Ashtabula, above both the Ohio town median (9.1%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On history, just 58 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better. Ashtabula is home to Kent State University at Ashtabula.
Where Ashtabula beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 229 in 1830, a peak of 24,559 in 1960, 17,975 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 3 maps from 1905 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Ashtabula is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ashtabula, 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 Ashtabula.
Ashtabula gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Saybrook Township and other neighbors.
48% of adults have obesity in Ashtabula. Ashtabula beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 18% of adults have diabetes in Ashtabula.
| Ashtabula | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 28% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Ashtabula | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 24.3% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 13.5% | 8.3% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.4% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Ashtabula since 2002.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 2.2 years of the Cleveland metro’s $71K median household income, the typical home (about $156K) costs less against local pay than in 88% of Ohio towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
58% of Ashtabula households own their home. Typical home values rose 6.2% in the year to September 2026. Ashtabula’s median rent is $793 a month.
| Ashtabula | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $793 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1.5 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Walnut Beach Park, at 25 acres.
| Ashtabula | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walnut Beach Park | 0.2 mi | 25 |
| 2. Massucci Field | — | 15 |
| 3. Lakeshore Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Dorset weather station, 15 miles away, records that 90 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
The July high in Ashtabula is 80°F. Ashtabula has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Ashtabula has about as many jobs (5,979) as working residents, but only 1,575 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of Ashtabula’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Saybrook Township (7%), Edgewood (5%) and Geneva (5%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
| Ashtabula | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Ashtabula's reported crime rate is below Ohio's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 32 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Ashtabula | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.4 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Ashtabula
About 2 of every 100 Ashtabula residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
9 places in Ashtabula on the National Register of Historic Places.
39 notable people were born in Ashtabula.
City in Ohio, US
Ashtabula ( ASH-tə-BYU-lə) is the most populous city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. It lies at the mouth of the Ashtabula River on to Lake Erie, 53 miles (85 km) northeast of Cleveland. The city had 17,975 people at the 2020 census. Like many other cities in the Rust Belt, it has lost population because of a decline in industrial jobs since the 1960s. It is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. In the middle of the 19th century, the city was an important destination on the Underground Railroad as refugee slaves took ships across Lake Erie to Canada. In the late 19th century, the city became a major coal port on Lake Erie. Coal and iron were shipped here, the latter from the Me…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Ashtabula.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashtabula · Ashtabula Township | #883 | C− | A | — | C | D− |
| Edgewood | #690 | C+ | A | — | C+ | D |
| Saybrook Township | #925 | C− | A− | — | C | D− |
Ashtabula, Edgewood and Saybrook Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Ashtabula Township and Ashtabula are one community, graded once. Compare Ashtabula with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ashtabula grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #883 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D− for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
39 notable people were born here, including Robert Lighthizer and Don Novello.
