Ashland, Oregon Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Ashland is a small city located in Oregon, within Jackson County. The total population is 21,259. It ranks as the 31st most populous out of 420 Census-designated places in Oregon.

Age Demographics

The median age in Ashland is 47.7 years. This is 18% higher than the state median of 40.4 years. Only 12.3% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 13.2% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Ashland is $68,028. This is 18% lower than the state median of $83,011. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.2%. This is 27% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. The unemployment rate is 6.2%. This is 15% higher than the state rate of 5.4%. The median home value is $583,800. Housing costs are 22% higher than the state median of $477,600. The home-value-to-income ratio of 8.6x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 51.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 18% lower than the state average of 63.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Ashland is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 8.7%. The Black or African American population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 1.8%. The Asian population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 4.4%.

Education

66.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Ashland in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 80% higher than the state rate of 36.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 96.7%. Notably, 30.9% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Ashland, Oregon is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Oregon state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 420 Census-designated places in Oregon. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.