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City · 21,295 residents · Boyd County, Kentucky

Ashland , Kentucky

In Ashland, a typical home is worth $125,000 and typical rent is $872 a month. Compared with all of Boyd County, typical household income is 14% lower and the share of households that own their home is 10 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $125,000

    4% below the county

    39% below Kentucky

    • Ashland
    • Boyd
    • Kentucky

  • Typical rent

    $872a month

    3% above the county

    10% below Kentucky

    • Ashland
    • Boyd
    • Kentucky

  • Typical household income

    $52,715a year

    14% below the county

    17% below Kentucky

    • Ashland
    • Boyd
    • Kentucky

  • Households that own their home

    60%

    10 points below the county

    8 points below Kentucky

    • Ashland
    • Boyd
    • Kentucky

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$128,624
about the same as 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Ashland is in Boyd County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Boyd County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Ashland apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Ashland has the 5th lowest typical home value of the 83 cities in Kentucky with more than 5,000 people ($125,000).

  2. Nearby, in Maysville, the typical rent is $699: 20% less than in Ashland ($872).

  3. 60% of households in Ashland own their home, against 70% in Boyd County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Ashland

What homes there are in Ashland, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house is the most common home in Ashland: 75% of homes, near the figure in Boyd County (74%).

Year built

Homes in Ashland are older: the typical year built is 1965; in Boyd County, 1972.

There are fewer big homes in Ashland than in Boyd County: 56% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 67%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

With an FHA limit of $541,287, at least 97% of owner-occupied homes in Ashland sit below it: they are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent (FMR) for Boyd County is $1,006; about 68% of rents in Ashland are below it.

With a mortgage

$1,213 a month

Boyd County: $1,217 a month

Without a mortgage

$459 a month

Boyd County: $463 a month

Owners with a mortgage

60%

Boyd County: 54%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Ashland is $1,213 a month, near the figure in Boyd County ($1,217).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Ashland gained value faster than in Boyd County: 22% against 18%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Ashland rose 28%, more than in Boyd County (22%).

While home values in Ashland changed +22% and rent +28%, the typical household income rose 29%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureAshlandBoyd CountyKentuckyUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate4.6%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.9%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2.0%3.4%
People per household 2.232.382.432.53
Drive alone 74%81%77%69%
Carpool 11%10%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike 6%3%2%3%
Work from home 8%6%10%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

On average, a household in Ashland has 2.23 people, fewer than in Boyd County (2.38).

In Ashland, 74% of workers drive alone to work; in Boyd County, 81%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Ashland?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Ashland, worth $125,000, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 24% of the typical household income in Ashland, which is $52,715 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Boyd County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Ashland. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $4,375 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,036

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$122,736
Total interest
$176,588
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,111 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,230 a month

    Your payment · 24%

  • Tight

    $1,230 to $1,581 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,581 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Ashland ($52,715 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,036
Principal & interest$831
Property tax$97
Home insurance$52
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$55

You need at least $4,375 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Ashland and Boyd County

Ashland is in Boyd County, Kentucky. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Ashland's own numbers

Typical home value
$125,000
Typical monthly rent
$872
Typical yearly household income
$52,715
Households that own their home
60%
Effective property tax rate
0.93%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Boyd County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,006
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+38%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
4.9%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Boyd County.

Everything about Boyd County

Buying

Buying a home in Ashland

A typical home in Ashland is worth $125,000: 4% below the county and 39% below Kentucky. With the typical household income in Ashland ($52,715 a year), a typical home costs 2.4 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Ashland 2.4 years
  • Boyd 2.1 years
  • Kentucky 3.2 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Boyd County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Boyd County rose 50% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Boyd County.

Period County Kentucky U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.8% +3.9% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +38% +50% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +50% +84% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Ashland next to Boyd County, Kentucky and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Ashland $125,000
  • Boyd $130,700
  • Kentucky $205,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Ashland $872
  • Boyd $849
  • Kentucky $967
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Ashland $52,715
  • Boyd $61,118
  • Kentucky $63,726
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Ashland next to Boyd County and Kentucky
Measure Ashland Boyd County Kentucky U.S.
Typical home value $125,000 $130,700 $205,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $872 $849 $967 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $52,715 $61,118 $63,726 $80,734
Households that own their home 60% 70% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,164 $1,156 $1,544 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.93% 0.88% 0.75% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 48% 48% 45% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Boyd County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Ashland

For a typical $125,000 home in Ashland, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Ashland's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,036a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $4,375
    Cash to close
    $8,125
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $55

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,013a month

    Down payment
    $6,250
    Cash to close
    $10,000
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $59

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $826a month

    Down payment
    $25,000
    Cash to close
    $28,750
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $942a month

    Down payment
    $18,750
    Cash to close
    $22,500
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Ashland and for Boyd County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Ashland

0.93%of the home’s value each year

$1,164 a year for the typical owner in Ashland.

  • Ashland 0.93%
  • Boyd 0.88%
  • Kentucky 0.75%

What Kentucky publishes Homestead exemption for owners 65 or older or totally disabled (Kentucky Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Kentucky

Flood risk in Boyd County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Boyd County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
4.9%
1,150
Of those, with NFIP insurance
15%
County Kentucky U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 4.9% 3.5% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 15% 19% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Ashland

Typical rent in Ashland is $872 a month: 3% above the county. In Ashland, 48% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Boyd County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,006 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $19.35 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Boyd County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $858 $16.50 $34,320
1 bedroom $864 $16.62 $34,560
2 bedrooms $1,006 $19.35 $40,240
3 bedrooms $1,287 $24.75 $51,480
4 bedrooms $1,393 $26.79 $55,720

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Ashland

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Ashland has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,000 in 41102 to $1,030 in 41101.

1 of the 2 is above the fair market rent for Boyd County ($1,006).

  • 41101 $1,030$1,320
  • 41102 $1,000$1,280

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Ashland when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Ashland

HUD lists 12 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Ashland. These are the largest.

  • Brucecrest 1709 Clements Dr, Ashland 41101 310 low-income homes · For families (606) 329-0797
  • Scope Towers II 3101 Winchester Ave, Ashland 41101 278 homes, 262 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of Ashland · Average payment: $329 a month · Average wait: 7 months (606) 325-7112
  • Debord Terrace II 917 Kilgore Dr, Ashland 41101 103 low-income homes · Run by Housing Authority of Ashland · Average payment: $379 a month · Average wait: 6 months (606) 325-7112
  • Ashland Terrace 3100 Roberts Dr, Ashland 41102 100 homes, 99 low-income · For families (606) 325-2522
  • Unity Square 506 9th St, Ashland 41101 70 low-income homes · For older adults (606) 329-2187

See all 13 buildings in Boyd County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Ashland

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Boyd County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A man leans over the armchair to help a teenage girl with her book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Ashland

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Ashland or Boyd County. The ones below are statewide in Kentucky: they work in Ashland the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Kentucky

  • KHC Down Payment Assistance (DPA)

    Statewide in Kentucky

    Kentucky state corporation loan of up to $12,500 for the down payment and closing costs, repaid over 15 years as a second loan, for buyers who take a KHC mortgage. Offered by Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Ashland

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Ashland, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Frontier Housing , Inc.

    259 Old Flemingsburg Rd, Morehead · 47 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 6 more
    (606) 784-2131

  • Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky

    120 N Front Ave, Prestonsburg · 55 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Homelessness services
    • and 2 more
    (866) 277-5733

  • Apprisen - Lexington

    3499 Blazer Pkwy, Lexington · 102 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 2 more
    (800) 355-2227

All counseling agencies in Kentucky

Help in Spanish near Ashland

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Ashland

HUD’s record names them for Ashland or Boyd County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

2 other authorities have an office in Boyd County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Ashland, with the typical home value.

Everything about Boyd County Housing in Kentucky

Neighboring counties

If Boyd County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Ashland.

All guides
A family walks a boardwalk trail in the forest; one of them uses a wheelchair.

Questions

Housing questions about Ashland

Short answers with the numbers for Ashland and all of Boyd County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Ashland?

The typical home value in Ashland is $125,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Boyd County it is $130,700.

How much does it cost to rent in Ashland?

Typical rent in Ashland is $872 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Boyd County is $1,006.

What is the FHA loan limit in Ashland?

Ashland uses the FHA limit for all of Boyd County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Ashland?

The typical homeowner in Ashland pays $1,164 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.93% of the home’s value; in Boyd County, the rate is 0.88%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Ashland?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Boyd County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).