Ashland, KY — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Kentucky·Ashland

Boyd County · Huntington-Ashland · population 21,066

AffordabilityShrinkingSmall-town feel
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
44
Cooling
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Ashland stands

Home values down 3.4% in the last year. population shrinking 0.7% per year.

Median home $122,841
1-year -3.4%
5-yr CAGR +1.5%
vs 5-yr peak -4.9%
Population -0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2023-04$123k$76k$96k$115k$134k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
56/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
33 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
44 · w22%
Distance from peak
61 · w18%
Population growth
35 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
55 · w10%
Long thesis

Ashland has held up across the cycle: home values at $122,841 with +1.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Ashland's population is shrinking 0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Ashland

Ashland is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, with an estimated population of 21,066. It anchors the Huntington-Ashland metro area. The population has contracted 0.7% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Ashland is $122,841 as of 2026-04, down 3.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +1.5% annual growth (-4.9% from the 5-year peak). The composite momentum score is 44 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.

▲ Bull case

●Cheap entry point: $122,841 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.
○The data is the data: Ashland has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

●Cooling: -3.4% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
●Flat or shrinking population: -0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.

Playbook

Buyer

You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it.

Seller

Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.

Investor

Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Boyd County right now.

NWS active alerts (KY)Kentucky Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Boyd County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Ashland

Somerset, KY57 · StableNewport, KY59 · StableParis, KY52 · StableCorbin, KY55 · Stable

Run the numbers for Ashland

ToolCan I afford Ashland?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Ashland rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Ashland to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAshland cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
42° / 26°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
86° / 66°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
188
~52% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
12″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Ashland listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Huntington-Ashland area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$60,200
Kentucky state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)HealthcareLogistics (UPS)

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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