Ashland County, Wisconsin Demographics 2026

Name: Ashland County, Wisconsin Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Ashland County, Wisconsin has a population of 16,080, the 62nd most populous county in Wisconsin. The median household income is $62,462 and the median home value is $170,300. The poverty rate is 13.4%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Ashland County Quick Facts

Population 16,080

Median Household Income $62,462

Median Home Value $170,300

Poverty Rate 13.4%

Unemployment Rate 3.8%

Median Age 43.1 years

Homeownership Rate 73.4%

Affordability Ratio 2.7x

Bachelor's Degree+ 24.5%

High School Graduation 95.5%

Cities/Places 13

Population 16,080 62nd of 72

Median Income $62,462 19% lower than state

Poverty Rate 13.4%

Unemployment 3.8%

How Ashland County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	16,050	16,080	+0.2%
Median household income	$57,645	$62,462	+8.4%
Median home value	$160,500	$170,300	+6.1%

Median Household Income

Ashland

$62,462

$77,485

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Ashland

$170,300

$266,500

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 19.5%

$25K-$50K 20.8%

$50K-$100K 31.9%

$100K+ 27.8%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.1%

$10K-$15K

6.9%

$15K-$20K

3.8%

$20K-$25K

3.7%

$25K-$30K

4.5%

$30K-$35K

5.2%

$35K-$40K

4.1%

$40K-$45K

3.7%

$45K-$50K

3.4%

$50K-$60K

8.7%

$60K-$75K

10.8%

$75K-$100K

12.4%

$100K-$125K

11.3%

$125K-$150K

5.7%

$150K-$200K

7.1%

$200K+

3.7%

Employment

3.8% Unemployment Rate State: 3.3%|National: 5.2%

59.7% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 73.4%

Renter 26.6%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.7x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $721/mo 13.9% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

20.7%

18-34

20.4%

35-54

21.7%

55-74

29.0%

75+

8.2%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 37 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Ashland County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Ashland	7,902	$54,529	17.8%	$176,400
Mellen	681	$41,875	21.3%	$78,100
Butternut	465	$43,750	27.9%	$74,300
Birch Hill	313	$54,875	16.0%	$63,100
New Odanah	275	$40,417	30.2%	$77,000
Glidden	215	$57,829	8.8%	$80,000
Marengo	149	$57,292	8.9%	$159,400
Bayfront	135	$99,213	3.0%	$343,300
Diaperville	109	$51,650	0.0%	$84,000
Jolmaville	104	$81,250	1.0%	$318,800
Odanah	60	N/A	0.0%	$91,700
Clam Lake	53	$73,393	1.9%	$455,700
Franks Field	49	$22,917	34.7%	N/A

Explore Wisconsin Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Ashland County is located in Wisconsin with a total population of 16,080. It is the 62nd most populous county out of 72 in Wisconsin. The county encompasses 13 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Ashland County is 43.1 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Ashland County is $62,462. This is 19% lower than the state median of $77,485. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.4%. This is 27% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.5%. The unemployment rate is 3.8%. This is 16% higher than the state rate of 3.3%. The median home value is $170,300. Housing costs are 36% lower than the state median of $266,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Ashland County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 73.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% higher than the state average of 67.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Ashland County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 81.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.0%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 5.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.0%) is well below the state average of 8.0%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 2.9%.

Education

24.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 27% lower than the state rate of 33.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 95.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Ashland County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Wisconsin and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Ashland County, Wisconsin?

Ashland County has a population of 16,080, making it the 62nd most populous county in Wisconsin.

What is the median income in Ashland County?

The median household income in Ashland County is $62,462 with a poverty rate of 13.4%.

How many cities are in Ashland County, Wisconsin?

Ashland County contains 13 Census-designated places.