Census-designated place · Alameda County, California

Ashland, California

Ashland is a census-designated place in Alameda County, California, part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area. It has 22,210 residents. Ashland, California has a quality-of-life score of 43 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #8,965 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #486 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on distance to an Amtrak station (low), comfortable days (high) and drought exposure (low). It ranks worst on loneliness (high), home price to income ratio (high) and property crime rate (high).

43Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #8,965 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #486 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 22,210 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 12,053.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 0602980

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety28#11,198/15,637
Economy36#10,057/15,631
Housing1#14,808/14,977
Health74#4,048/15,609
Healthcare80#3,173/15,650
Environment33#10,315/15,453
Education19#12,676/15,649
Infrastructure71#4,597/15,650
Community45#8,658/15,651
Leisure & amenities83#2,599/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ashland, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Alameda County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Distance to an Amtrak station · low2 mi
100/100California 10 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAlameda County value
Comfortable days · high46.9%
99/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAlameda County value
Drought exposure · low0%
98/100California 9%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAlameda County value
Access to exercise opportunities · high99.6%
98/100California 94.3%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlameda County value
Average weekly wage · high$1,961
98/100California $1,865United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAlameda County value
Mental health providers · high774 /100k
98/100California 487 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlameda County value

Weaknesses

Loneliness · high41.7%
1/100California 37.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Home price to income ratio · high9.5×
1/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Property crime rate · high3,294 /100k
1/100California 1,792 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAlameda County value
Violent crime rate · high761 /100k
2/100California 433 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureAlameda County value
High school diploma or higher · low79.9%
3/100California 84.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Students per teacher · high21.5×
4/100California 21.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsAlameda County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
24,430 (2015-2019) → 22,210 (2020-2024)
−9.1%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
83.9% (2015-2019) → 94.5% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$63,406 (2015-2019) → $81,702 (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
High school diploma or higherImproving
75.7% (2015-2019) → 80.0% (2020-2024)
+4.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
7.9× (2015-2019) → 9.5× (2020-2024)
+21%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
56.7% (2015-2019) → 60.6% (2020-2024)
+3.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Ashland, California improved on 2 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 12 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+11 points83.9% → 94.5%
Household income+29%$63,406 → $81,702

Declined1

Price / income+1.6×7.9× → 9.5×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Ashland, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	35.3 min2015-2019	32.7 min2020-2024	−2.6 min	Within the margin of error	76%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.1%2015-2019	20.8%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Broadband subscriptions	83.9%2015-2019	94.5%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	63%
Child poverty rate	19.2%2015-2019	21.5%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Effective property tax rate	0.77%2015-2019	0.79%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	14%
High school diploma or higher	75.7%2015-2019	80.0%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Home price to income ratio	7.9×2015-2019	9.5×2020-2024	+1.6×	Declined	7%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4172015-2019	0.4552020-2024	+0.038	Within the margin of error	22%
Median household income	$63,4062015-2019	$81,7022020-2024	+29%	Improved	53%
Poverty rate	13.6%2015-2019	16.4%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Public transit commuters	9.1%2015-2019	8.6%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Rent as share of income	34.1%2015-2019	35.7%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Rent-burdened households	56.7%2015-2019	60.6%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Unemployment rate	7.3%2015-2019	6.7%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.9%2015-2019	9.1%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	24%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Ashland, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ashland, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Ashland, California itself moved −2.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

22,210 residents (±1,393)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 women (+1.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

22,210 residents (±1,393)

Ashland, California
California share

White11%2,464
Black19%4,174
Hispanic or Latino44%9,689

Education

15,482 residents (±930)

Ashland, California
California share

No high school diploma20%3,104
High school or GED31%4,791
Some college22%3,374

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

7,546 households (±490)

Ashland, California
California share

Under $25k19%1,453
$25k–50k13%996
$50k–75k12%923
$75k–100k15%1,138
$100k–150k21%1,564
$150k–200k8.3%†629
$200k or more11%843

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−8.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

7,546 households (±490)

Ashland, California
California share

Own35%2,652
Rent65%4,894

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

4,835 households (±414)

Ashland, California
California share

Under $7505.5%†268
$750–1,0002.0%†98
$1,000–1,5006.0%†

Home values

2,652 homes (±362)

Ashland, California
California share

Under $150k4.4%†116
$150k–250k2.8%†73
$250k–400k2.2%†58

Age of homes

7,851 homes (±469)

Ashland, California
California share

2010 or later2.8%†218
2000–20095.7%†448
1980–199918%1,375

Size of homes

7,851 homes (±469)

Ashland, California
California share

Studio6.2%†484
1 bedroom22%1,691
2 bedrooms40%3,159

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

11,014 workers (±926)

Ashland, California
California share

Drive alone70%7,731
Carpool10.0%1,097
Public transit8.6%†944
Walk1.0%†108
Bike0.6%†63
Work from home6.9%764
Other2.8%†307

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

10,250 workers (±906)

Ashland, California
California share

Under 15 min17%1,714
15–29 min34%3,441
30–44 min23%2,369

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Alameda County, the county holding most of Ashland's residents.

Alameda County has 42,318 employer establishments, 259 for every 10,000 residents (1.04× the US rate of 248; 0.99× California's), with 749,124 paid employees at an average annual pay of $101,250. The Census Bureau also counts 148,108 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 42,318; 148,108 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 259; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 749,124
Average annual pay: $101,250; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Alameda County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	3,688	22.6	1.23×About typical	52,750	$29,829	694
Ambulatory health care services	3,667	22.5	1.08×About typical	55,461	$90,723	7,406
Lessors of real estate	2,267	13.9	1.13×About typical	9,226	$76,728	12,451
Specialty trade contractors	1,866	11.4	0.74×Fewer than typical	34,646	$101,751	4,255
Computer systems design and related services	1,655	10.1	2.34×More than typical	15,570	$122,742	3,433
Full-service restaurants	1,564	9.6	1.25×About typical	23,420	$34,259	245
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,519	9.3	1.39×More than typical	13,340	$92,666	9,064
Limited-service restaurants	1,496	9.2	1.14×About typical	21,745	$27,150	302
Construction of buildings	1,187	7.3	0.96×About typical	8,735	$97,943	3,958
Schools, colleges and instruction	1,092	6.7	1.91×More than typical	18,482	$50,251	6,357
Offices of other health practitioners	1,032	6.3	1.04×About typical	5,499	$46,073	4,334
Offices of dentists	981	6	1.49×More than typical	6,598	$59,922	309

Rank places for an industry Open Alameda County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,633,055 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $26.1K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Ashland, California: $1.17 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $26.1K; −85% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1.17; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 25%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

DOC BAILEY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, INC$17.6K68%
VANTAGE ROBOTICS, INC.$6,48625%
ASPEN HELICOPTERS INC$1,1764.5%
UNICARE BUILDING MAINTENANCE, INC$7392.8%
ECOSCAN RESOURCE DATA LLC$45.940.2%

Spending by fiscal year

18.8KFY2017
12.1KFY2018
11.2KFY2019
9.3KFY2020
2KFY2021
1.7KFY2022
3.9KFY2023
15.2KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance · 8113$17.6K68%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$6,48625%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$1,2224.7%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$7392.8%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Ashland, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Ashland, California's figures are part of those of Alameda County, CA ($6B in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Ashland is mostly in Alameda County.

See federal money in Alameda County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Ashland, California is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Alameda County70100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA83

Other cities and towns in Alameda County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0602980

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends