Ashland, KY
Census place 2102368 · pop 21,295
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
5.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
22.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$52,715 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2537 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
24.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
60.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
205 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.93% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
42 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$125,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
42/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Ashland: Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Ashland, KY a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Ashland scores 46/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 16 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is unemployment rate. Kentucky overall ranks #22 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Ashland, KY?
- Ashland reports 205 violent crimes per 100k and 2537 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Ashland, KY expensive to live in?
- Ashland has a median home value of $125,000 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Ashland, KY?
- Its weakest measured area is unemployment rate (5.4%) — 9/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Ashland, KY best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (42/100) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.