Median Income
$75,114
household / year
Median Home Value
$671,100
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,994
gross / month
Cost of Living
118
national avg = 100

Is Ashland, CA a Good Place to Live?

Ashland is a small city of 23,164 in California, with a median household income of $75,114 and a 6.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 118 (US average = 100), which is 18% above the national average.

Strengths: Ashland's profile is close to national averages across most measures.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Ashland is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Ashland city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 118.2

Ashland's overall cost of living index is 118.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ashland costs roughly 18% more than the average American city.

Metric Ashland, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $671,100 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,994 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 38.1% 65.9%
Median Household Income $75,114 $74,755

Crime & Safety

High Crime

Ashland's violent crime rate is 748.4 per 100,000 residents — 97% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
748.4 /100k
Property Crime
3834.4 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Ashland, CA National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.8% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 79.8% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Ashland sees average highs of 59.3°F in January and 74.7°F in July, with 16.0 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricAshland, CA
Average High — January59.3°F
Average High — July74.7°F
Annual Precipitation16.0"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricAshland, CANational Avg
Population23,164—
Median Age36.238.9
Unemployment Rate6.8%3.7%
Avg Commute Time31.2 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)22.6%59.3%
Black or African American16.1%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino28.2%18.9%
Asian26.4%6.3%
Under 1822.5%22.2%
65 and over12.0%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Cherryland, CA 1 mi San Lorenzo, CA 2 mi San Leandro, CA 3 mi Castro Valley, CA 3 mi Fairview, CA 4 mi

Ashland vs Other Cities

Ashland, CA vs Cherryland, CA Ashland, CA vs San Lorenzo, CA Ashland, CA vs San Leandro, CA Ashland, CA vs Castro Valley, CA Ashland, CA vs Fairview, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Ashland's cost of living index is 118, where 100 is the national average. That puts Ashland roughly 18% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $671,100 and median rent is $1,994/month.
Ashland's violent crime rate is 748.4 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 3834.4 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Ashland, CA has a population of 23,164, a median household income of $75,114, and an unemployment rate of 6.8%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Ashland averages 59.3°F in January and 74.7°F in July. Annual rainfall is 16.0 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Ashland, California is 23,164 with a median age of 36.2. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Ashland: cost of living index 118 (100 = US average), median home $671,100, median household income $75,114, crime index 191 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Ashland side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.