City safety & data profile

AshlandKY

Ashland, KY is a 21K-resident city in Boyd County with a median household income of $52,715.

Boyd County, Kentucky. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Ashland, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Ashland has a population larger than 47% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $125,000, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

21K
Population
Top 53%
By size
$52,715
Median income
$125,000
Median home
22.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Ashland

Ashland posts a median household income higher than 12% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Ashland area.

Top 88%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Ashland

Where Ashland income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$52,715 Bottom 12% higher than 12% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. KY $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Ashland, KY beyond the headline numbers

Ashland sits inside Boyd County, Kentucky, at roughly 38.48°N, -82.64°W. Population 21,108, $52,715 median household income. Median home value $125,000, median rent $872. Poverty rate 22.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Ashland's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 37.4%. 1 hospital in/around Ashland, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Ashland from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
21,108
Ashland
Median Income
$52,715
-22% vs avg
Median Home Value
$125,000
-45% vs avg
Median Age
40.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Boyd County) - Ashland's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
48K-3%
Median Income
$61,118+51%
Median Home Value
$130,700+35%
Poverty Rate
16.9%-15%
Unemployment
6.4%-45%

Economics

Economics indicators for Ashland, KY
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$872/mo
Poverty Rate
22.4% +58% vs avg
Unemployment 7.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 24.8%
Work From Home 7.5%
Public Transit 0.2%

Population

White 91.8%
African American 2%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.1%

Health Profile 2 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
37.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 58.2%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
KING'S DAUGHTERS' MEDICAL CENTER
ASHLAND · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Ashland, KY? ▼
Ashland, KY has a population of 21,108 people, located in Boyd County, Kentucky.
What is the median household income in Ashland? ▼
The median household income in Ashland, KY is $52,715 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 22.4%.
What is the median home value in Ashland? ▼
The median home value in Ashland, KY is $125,000. Median rent is $872/month.
What are the top health concerns in Ashland? ▼
The top health indicators in Ashland include Short Sleep Duration (37.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Ashland? ▼
Ashland has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Ashland? ▼
The median age in Ashland, KY is 40.7 years. 24.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Ashland, KY is located in Boyd County, Kentucky. With a population of 21K and a $52,715 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Ashland area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Kentucky

Real-time AQI for every monitored Kentucky location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Ironton, OH 11K Meads, KY 289K Huntington, WV 49K Portsmouth, OH 20K Teays Valley, WV 13K Saint Albans, WV 11K Chillicothe, OH 22K South Charleston, WV 13K
All cities in Kentucky → Compare Ashland vs Ironton → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Ashland's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Ashland area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Ashland against Kentucky peers on any ranking lens. Explore Kentucky

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Boyd County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.