Town · Hanover County, Virginia

Ashland, Virginia

Ashland is a town in Hanover County, Virginia, part of the Richmond, VA metro area. It has 7,772 residents. Ashland, Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 83 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,607 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Virginia it ranks #137 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on math scores (high), voter turnout (high) and food environment index (high). It ranks worst on poverty rate (high), income inequality (Gini index) (high) and mental health care shortage (high).

83Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,607 of 15,651 cities and towns
Virginia: #137 of 375 in VA
Population: 7,772 (2020-2024)
Land area: 7 mi²
Density: 1,079.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 5103368

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.

Safety66#5,392/15,637
Economy35#10,196/15,631
Housing53#6,996/14,977
Health62#5,932/15,609
Healthcare58#6,606/15,650
Environment94#913/15,453
Education94#862/15,649
Infrastructure85#2,383/15,650
Community89#1,746/15,651
Leisure & amenities61#6,133/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ashland, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Hanover 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

Math scores · high3.67
99/100Virginia 3.27United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHanover County value
Voter turnout · high84.9%
99/100Virginia 70.7%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionHanover County value
Food environment index · high9.4
96/100Virginia 8.9United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHanover County value
Child care cost burden · low19.9%
95/100Virginia 24.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHanover County value
Reading scores · high3.36
92/100Virginia 3.16United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHanover County value
Job growth · high2.4%
91/100Virginia -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataHanover County value

Weaknesses

Poverty rate · high24.3%
10/100Virginia 9.8%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.490
11/100Virginia 0.472United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100Virginia 14.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationHanover County value
Grocery stores · low1.1 /10k
20/100Virginia 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHanover County value
Time spent in the emergency room · high202 min
21/100Virginia 164 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesHanover County value
Child poverty rate · high55.6%
22/100Virginia 11.8%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Trends

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

Child poverty rateWorsening
14.7% (2015-2019) → 55.6% (2020-2024)
+41 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.8% (2015-2019) → 94.1% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
12.8% (2015-2019) → 24.3% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
30.3% (2015-2019) → 38.0% (2020-2024)
+7.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.5× (2015-2019) → 4.8× (2020-2024)
+37%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
High school diploma or higherImproving
85.6% (2015-2019) → 89.6% (2020-2024)
+4 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

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, Virginia improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 9 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+15 points78.8% → 94.1%
Bachelor's++7.7 points30.3% → 38.0%

Declined3

Child poverty+41 points14.7% → 55.6%
Poverty+12 points12.8% → 24.3%
Inequality+0.0640.426 → 0.490

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Ashland, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.1 min2015-2019	22.5 min2020-2024	+1.4 min	Within the margin of error	32%
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.3%2015-2019	38.0%2020-2024	+7.7 points	Improved	82%
Broadband subscriptions	78.8%2015-2019	94.1%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	81%
Child poverty rate	14.7%2015-2019	55.6%2020-2024	+41 points	Declined	1%
Effective property tax rate	0.66%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	14%
High school diploma or higher	85.6%2015-2019	89.6%2020-2024	+4 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Home price to income ratio	3.5×2015-2019	4.8×2020-2024	+1.3×	Within the margin of error	13%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4262015-2019	0.4902020-2024	+0.064	Declined	11%
Median household income	$55,0002015-2019	$61,1642020-2024	+11%	Within the margin of error	18%
Poverty rate	12.8%2015-2019	24.3%2020-2024	+12 points	Declined	3%
Rent as share of income	27.4%2015-2019	29.4%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Rent-burdened households	46.1%2015-2019	47.9%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Unemployment rate	3.8%2015-2019	4.9%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.5%2015-2019	12.5%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	35%

“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, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ashland, Virginia 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, Virginia itself moved −4.5 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

7,772 residents (±37)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69

Income

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

Household income

2,809 households (±215)

Ashland, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k21%†580
$25k–50k19%†537
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

2,809 households (±215)

Ashland, Virginia
Virginia share

Own56%1,567
Rent44%1,242

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

3,522 workers (±329)

Ashland, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone71%2,486
Carpool5.0%†175
Public transit0.6%†

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 Richmond, VA

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 Hanover County, the county holding most of Ashland's residents.

Hanover County has 3,413 employer establishments, 299 for every 10,000 residents (1.20× the US rate of 248; 1.24× Virginia's), with 52,652 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,245. The Census Bureau also counts 9,952 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,413; 9,952 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 299; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 52,652
Average annual pay: $53,245; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	394	34.5	2.23×More than typical	4,321	$71,936	585
Ambulatory health care services	230	20.1	0.97×About typical	2,558	$73,925	341
Restaurants and other eating places	190	16.6	0.91×About typical	3,568	$22,085	46
Building equipment contractors	181	15.8	2.63×More than typical	2,518	$72,885	133
Lessors of real estate	151	13.2	1.07×About typical	352	$49,091	1,346
Construction of buildings	147	12.9	1.70×More than typical	662	$69,816	281
Services to buildings and dwellings	146	12.8	1.90×More than typical	1,843	$50,129	466
Automotive repair and maintenance	109	9.5	1.89×More than typical	745	$58,902	89
Religious organizations	108	9.5	1.70×More than typical	656	$27,872	—
Landscaping services	102	8.9	2.55×More than typical	1,526	$52,081	203
Limited-service restaurants	90	7.9	0.98×About typical	1,619	$20,213	16
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	89	7.8	2.36×More than typical	1,112	$66,987	70

Rank places for an industry Open Hanover County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 114,263 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 $652.3K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Ashland, Virginia: $83.92 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $652.3K; −42% vs FY2025
Per resident: $83.92; US $1,995
Sole-source: 17%; US 30%
Single offer: 16%; 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

Defense Logistics Agency$244.9K38%
Department of the Army$69.1K11%
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office$57.3K8.8%
Office of the Chief Financial Officer$41K6.3%
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acquisition and Property Management Division$38.1K5.8%
Department of State$31.2K4.8%
Social Security Administration$27.2K4.2%
National Institute of Standards and Technology$24.3K3.7%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

813KFY2017
1.4MFY2018
2MFY2019
4.5MFY2020
6.3MFY2021
3.4MFY2022
1.2MFY2023
953.4K

Top industries (NAICS)

Other miscellaneous manufacturing · 3399$144.4K22%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$88.1K14%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$70.7K11%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$57.3K8.8%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$48.2K7.4%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 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, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Ashland, Virginia's figures are part of those of Hanover County, VA ($12.5M in FY2026), never added to them: 5.2% of that total.

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

See federal money in Hanover 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, Virginia is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

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

Hanover County99100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Richmond, VA78

Other cities and towns in Hanover 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/5103368

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends