Ashland, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ashland, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Ashland | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,071 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 11978.7 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.88% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,447 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ashland grew by 8.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,071 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ashland is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.8% of residents. That is 2.2 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,919 22.3% +0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,702 25.8% +2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,452 20.2% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,457 11.1% -4.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.2% of the people living in Ashland and men 47.8%.
- Women 52.2% California 49.9%
- Men 47.8% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Ashland
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Economy
Ashland has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Ashland | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,561 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.51% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ashland is about 16% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Ashland | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $506,984 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,115 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 34.3% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ashland is about 20.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,115 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ashland spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 236 hours, about 9.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ashland | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.4 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.7 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 236 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,330 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 41,524 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,599 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Ashland is 28 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Ashland has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Ashland | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.2% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.91 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Ashland has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ashland | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.2% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Ashland, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
Ashland, CA is the smallest of the 5 cities compared here, 22,071 residents against a local median of 72,527. Where Ashland, CA breaks from the cities next to it is median household income, sitting 26% below the local median of $112,456 at $83,561. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $506,984 against a local median of $649,019, 22% below it. The cities themselves spread $34,421 on median household income, so Ashland, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ashland, CA has the 5th highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland, CA | 22,071 | $83,561 #5/5 | $506,984 #4/5 | 28.4 min #2/5 |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 28,612 | $111,304 | $241,499 | 27.6 min |
| San Leandro, CA | 87,097 | $101,625 | $663,442 | 30.5 min |
| Castro Valley, CA | 57,957 | $136,046 | $801,013 | 30.0 min |
| Hayward, CA | 153,435 | $113,608 | $634,595 | 30.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ashland, California.
How big is Ashland, California by population?
About 22,071 people live in Ashland, California, in 7,447 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Ashland, California?
Averaged over its land area, Ashland, California has 11,979 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 139 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ashland, California?
The median home costs 6.1 times the median household income ($506,984 against $83,561), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,115 a month takes about 30% of the median household's income, right at the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Ashland, California?
Unemployment in Ashland, California is 6.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Ashland, California have a college degree?
20.2% of adults in Ashland, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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