Ashland County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ashland County, WI 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 averageLess healthy than 93% of counties in Wisconsin
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Wisconsin
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,080 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.0 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.12% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,832 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ashland County declined by 1.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,080 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ashland County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.3% of residents. That is 0.6 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,363 20.9% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,903 18.1% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,429 21.3% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,250 20.2% +2.4 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 Wisconsin, 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 49.1% of the people living in Ashland County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.9% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Ashland County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ashland County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,326 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.50% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ashland County is about 21% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $91,000 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $721 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.4% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ashland County is about 10.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $721 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ashland County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 106 hours, about 4.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.8 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.5 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 106 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,296 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,359 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 222 | 811 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Wisconsin:
Ashland County (12.8 min), Door County (13.6 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Oconto County (26.4 min), St. Croix County (25.3 min), Waushara County (23.9 min).
The average commute time in Ashland County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Wisconsin.
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 County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.4), Ozaukee County (0.4), Waukesha County (0.4).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.2), Adams County (0.2), Juneau County (0.2).
Health
Ashland County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.8% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.0% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.8), Waukesha County (0.8), Ozaukee County (0.8).
Lowest:
Menominee County (0.8), Clark County (0.8), Forest County (0.8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ashland County, Wisconsin.
How many people live in Ashland County, Wisconsin?
About 16,080 people live in Ashland County, Wisconsin, in 6,832 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Ashland County, Wisconsin?
Averaged over its land area, Ashland County, Wisconsin has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 8% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Ashland County, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($91,000 against $61,326), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $721 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Ashland County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Ashland County, Wisconsin is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Ashland County, Wisconsin?
18.6% of adults in Ashland County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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