Ashland is a medium-sized town located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 18,591 people and five associated neighborhoods, Ashland is the 104th largest community in Massachusetts.
Housing costs in Ashland are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Massachusetts.
Also of interest is that Ashland has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 17.71% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
In addition, Ashland is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are educated, wealthy, executives and professionals, who have urbane tastes in books, food, and travel, whether they actually live in a big city, or choose to reside in a small town. In big or medium-sized cities, urban sophisticates tend to frequent art institutions such as opera, symphonies, ballet, live theatre, and museums.
Ashland is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Ashland’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.
One downside of living in Ashland, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 33.80 minutes every day commuting to work. However, local public transit is widely used. For those who would prefer to avoid driving entirely and leave their car at home, it may be an option to use the transit instead.
In Ashland, a lot of people use the train to get to work every day though Ashland is a relatively small town. Those that ride the train are primarily traveling out of town to good jobs in other cities.
Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Ashland. 61.24% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.
The per capita income in Ashland in 2022 was $67,369, which is upper middle income relative to Massachusetts, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $269,476 for a family of four.
Ashland is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Ashland home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Ashland residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Ashland include Irish, Italian, German, English, and Polish.
In addition, Ashland has a lot of people living here who were born outside of the US (21.90%).
The most common language spoken in Ashland is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Langs. of India.