Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety81#175/924
Economy44#523/925
Housing83#160/925
Health42#533/925
Healthcare27#672/923
Environment45#505/917
Education37#581/925
Infrastructure37#579/925
Community48#485/925
Leisure & amenities18#763/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ashland, OH micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Social associations · high20.1 /10k
99/100Ohio 10.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.404
97/100Ohio 0.467United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Drought exposure · low1%
95/100Ohio 11%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · low24.6%
92/100Ohio 28.3%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Property crime rate · low596 /100k
89/100Ohio 1,429 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Hot days · low6 days
82/100Ohio 11 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Gyms and fitness centers · low0.4 /10k
9/100Ohio 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · low5.5 /10k
10/100Ohio 8.2 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · high13.0 mi
11/100Ohio 5.1 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.1%
14/100Ohio 1.0%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Some college · low51.0%
15/100Ohio 65.8%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · low$969
15/100Ohio $1,313United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Trends

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

Drug overdose deathsImproving
26.8 /100k (2021) → 11.3 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−58%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
6.4 /1k (2020) → 9.4 /1k (2025)
+48%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.2% (2015-2019) → 88.0% (2020-2024)
+8.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
33.9% (2015-2019) → 42.5% (2020-2024)
+8.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$43,734 (2019) → $60,280 (2024)
+38%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Injury deathsWorsening
64 /100k (2016-2020) → 85 /100k (2019-2023)
+33%3 yearsUS 76 /100k → 87 /100k

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, OH micropolitan area improved on 9 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 9. 8 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved9

Real income+38%$43,734 → $60,280
Overdose deaths−65%32.4 /100k → 11.3 /100k
Household income+32%$52,823 → $69,860
Restaurants+7.3%5.1 /10k → 5.5 /10k
New businesses+48%6.4 /1k → 9.4 /1k

Declined9

Libraries−24%0.7 /10k → 0.6 /10k
Violent crime+31%101 /100k → 132 /100k
Homicides+33%2.7 /100k → 3.6 /100k
Rent burden+8.6 points33.9% → 42.5%
Arts & recreation−13%3.0 /10k → 2.7 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Ashland, OH micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.0 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	11%
Average commute time	22.9 min2015-2019	23.9 min2020-2024	+1.1 min	Within the margin of error	29%
Average weekly wage	$8102020	$9692025	+20%	Improved	19%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.9%2015-2019	22.6%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Broadband subscriptions	79.2%2015-2019	88.0%2020-2024	+8.8 points	Improved	50%
Child poverty rate	21.5%2015-2019	20.5%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Distance to an airport	44 mi2020	44 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	24%
Drug overdose deaths	32.4 /100k2020	11.3 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−65%	Improved	94%
Effective property tax rate	1.21%2015-2019	0.86%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	94%
Firearm deaths	11.8 /100k2020	12.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+5.9%	Declined	39%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	51%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.4 /10k2020	0.4 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	42%
High school diploma or higher	88.5%2015-2019	91.4%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.2×	Declined	77%
Homicide rate	2.7 /100k2020	3.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+33%	Declined	8%
Income adjusted for local prices	$43,7342019	$60,2802024	+38%	Improved	84%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4142015-2019	0.4042020-2024	−0.011	Within the margin of error	79%
Median household income	$52,8232015-2019	$69,8602020-2024	+32%	Improved	76%
New business applications	6.4 /1k2020	9.4 /1k2025	+48%	Improved	53%
Pharmacies	1.3 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	72%
Poverty rate	13.8%2015-2019	13.3%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Property crime rate	847 /100k2020	596 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	41%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−24%	Declined	3%
Rent as share of income	23.7%2015-2019	24.6%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Rent-burdened households	33.9%2015-2019	42.5%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Declined	6%
Restaurants and bars	5.1 /10k2020	5.5 /10k2025	+7.3%	Improved	72%
Suicide rate	14.3 /100k2020	15.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+10%	Declined	37%
Traffic deaths	12.7 /100k2015-2019	15.7 /100k2020-2024	+24%	Declined	24%
Unemployment rate	6.4%2020	4.7%2025	−1.7 points	Improved	15%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.5%2015-2019	8.5%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Violent crime rate	101 /100k2020	132 /100k2025	+31%	Declined	8%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Ashland, OH micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ashland, OH micropolitan area 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, OH micropolitan area itself moved −1.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

52,256 residents

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: 60–69 men (+1.5 points).

Table view

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

Race and Hispanic origin

52,256 residents

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

White94%49,081
Black1.0%511
Hispanic or Latino1.8%935

Education

36,027 residents (±141)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

No high school diploma8.6%3,096
High school or GED43%15,500
Some college17%6,160

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

20,720 households (±350)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k14%2,967
$25k–50k21%4,250
$50k–75k19%3,919
$75k–100k17%3,553
$100k–150k20%4,178
$150k–200k4.7%984
$200k or more4.2%869

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+8.2 points).

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

20,720 households (±350)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Own78%16,131
Rent22%4,589

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.1 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

4,241 households (±421)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Under $75034%1,454
$750–1,00031%1,294
$1,000–1,50027%1,125

Home values

16,131 homes (±422)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Under $150k31%5,067
$150k–250k38%6,110
$250k–400k21%3,397
$400k–750k

Age of homes

22,568 homes (±61)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

2010 or later4.1%921
2000–200913%2,828
1980–199921%4,637

Size of homes

22,568 homes (±61)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Studio0.7%†158
1 bedroom5.7%1,290
2 bedrooms23%5,227

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

24,095 workers (±680)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone81%19,424
Carpool8.5%2,039
Public transit0.1%†16
Walk2.6%619
Bike0.4%†106
Work from home6.5%1,565
Other1.4%†326

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−3.2 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

22,530 workers (±663)

Ashland, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Under 15 min38%8,488
15–29 min31%6,928
30–44 min18%4,116

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 no occupation wages for Ashland, OH micropolitan area.

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.

Ashland, OH has 1,021 employer establishments, 196 for every 10,000 residents (0.79× the US rate of 248), with 17,851 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,718. The Census Bureau also counts 4,018 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,021; 4,018 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 196; US 248
Paid employees: 17,851
Average annual pay: $44,718; US $68,342

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

Religious organizations	81	15.5	2.80×More than typical	611	$18,113	—
Restaurants and other eating places	78	15	0.81×About typical	1,562	$17,367	10
Ambulatory health care services	67	12.9	0.62×Fewer than typical	883	$64,648	122
Specialty trade contractors	63	12.1	0.78×Fewer than typical	430	$79,270	415
Limited-service restaurants	38	7.3	0.91×About typical	748	$17,608	6
Truck transportation	33	6.3	1.25×More than typical	303	$57,597	198
Full-service restaurants	28	5.4	0.70×Fewer than typical	695	$17,793	3
Services to buildings and dwellings	28	5.4	0.80×Fewer than typical	143	$28,483	250
Lessors of real estate	27	5.2	0.42×Fewer than typical	86	$29,151	391
Offices of physicians	27	5.2	0.80×Fewer than typical	210	$126,710	13
Automotive repair and maintenance	25	4.8	0.95×About typical	121	$77,744	90
Construction of buildings	25	4.8	0.63×Fewer than typical	429	$72,373	166

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 52,125 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $30.9K on contracts performed in Ashland, OH micropolitan area: $0.59 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $30.9K; −44% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.59; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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$30.9K100%

Top recipients

HARRIS WELDING AND MACHINE COMPANY

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $352M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Ashland, OH micropolitan area: $6,701 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $352M; −2.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,701; US $12,955
Loan face value: $12.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$216.4M61%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$27.8M7.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$26.8M7.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$23.8M6.8%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$16.8M4.8%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$8.6M2.4%
10.203 · Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations Under the Hatch Act$8.1M2.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$6.2M1.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

ASHLAND UNIVERSITY$17.6M5.0%
ASHLAND, OH
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$12.8M3.6%
COLUMBUS, OH
OHIO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT$8.7M2.5%
WOOSTER, OH
MIDLAND COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS$423.2K0.1%
WOOSTER, OH
ASHLAND VILLAGE, LLC$313.4K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$274.3M78%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$30.4M8.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$17.7M5.0%
Federal Highway Administration$12.8M3.6%
Department of Transportation
National Institute of Food and Agriculture$8.7M

Assistance by fiscal year

316.8MFY2021
278.3MFY2022
312.7MFY2023
328.2MFY2024
361.3MFY2025
352MFY2026

County aggregates

87%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Ashland, OH

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Ashland CountyCentral county5752,523

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AshlandPrincipal city18,911

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Ohio

Areas based in Ohio, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M11740

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved9

Declined9

Metro and micro areas like Ashland, OH micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Ashland, OH

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Ohio

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved9

Declined9

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

By type

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards