Ashland, VA
Census place 5103368 · pop 7,772
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
24.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
55.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$61,164 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.3% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,980/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$293,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
34.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
23.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
12.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
38.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.75% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
39 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 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 77/100 · better than most cities
57/100 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.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Ashland: Crime, Property crime. 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, VA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Ashland scores 55/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is poverty rate. Virginia overall ranks #14 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Ashland, VA expensive to live in?
- Ashland has a median home value of $293,200 and typical rent around $1,980/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Ashland, VA?
- Its weakest measured area is poverty rate (24.3%) — 9/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Ashland, VA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.4%) — 96/100, 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.