Ashland, Michigan

Township in Newaygo County · population 2,764 (2020 Census)

Median home: $179,800
Household income: $67,778
Jan low / Jul high: 14° / 83°
Snow a year: 59 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 9
Median age: 41.4

Ashland is a township of 2,764 people in Newaygo County, Michigan. The median home is worth $179,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for cycling than 82% of Michigan towns, better transit than 71% of Michigan towns.

How Ashland ranks

Percentile among Michigan towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Michigan towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Ashland is worth $179,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $67,778, which is more affordable than 61% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $993 a month. 92.8% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Ashland	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$179,800	$193,900
Median rent	$993	$955
Median household income	$67,778	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.7×	2.8×
Homeownership	92.8%	86.8%
Median year built	1986	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	8.9%	—

Who lives in Ashland

People	Ashland	Typical Michigan town
Median age	41.4	43.7
Age 65 and over	19.5%	20.7%
Under 18	22.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.7%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	9.4%	10.4%
Veterans	6.8%	—
Born outside the U.S.	4.9%	—
Work from home	7.5%	9.1%
Average commute	29.7 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	82.6%	88.8%

Weather in Ashland

July highs average 83.3°F and January lows 13.7°F. About 38.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 59.1 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 168 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kent City 2 Sw station (10.4 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ashland since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 17, 1975 about 7.8 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 0 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 30, 2025.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 16 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on August 29, 2019.

Severe weather in Newaygo County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Newaygo County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Newaygo County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 30, 2026	Flood	DR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
June 18, 2013	Flood	DR-4121: Flooding
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Newaygo County

Newaygo County had 11,901 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,371 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Ashland itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Ashland

Grant, MI
5.4 mi · 3,298 people · home $221,100
Casnovia, MI
6.7 mi · 2,793 people · home $229,800
Sheridan, MI
8.5 mi · 2,518 people · home $183,300
Tyrone, MI
8.8 mi · 5,021 people · home $238,400
Brooks, MI
9.1 mi · 3,705 people · home $244,100
Fremont, MI
10.0 mi · 4,516 people · home $194,700
Ensley, MI
11.3 mi · 2,603 people · home $247,700
Cedar Creek, MI
12.6 mi · 3,192 people · home $224,600

Ashland questions

Is Ashland, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ashland scores better for retirees than 42% of Michigan towns and quieter than 41%. 19.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.4).

How much does a house cost in Ashland?

The median owner-occupied home in Ashland is valued at $179,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,778, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $993 a month.

What is the weather like in Ashland?

July highs average 83.3°F and January lows 13.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.5 inches of precipitation a year and 59.1 inches of snow.

Does Ashland get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ashland since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 17, 1975. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ashland's Census boundary (GEOID 2612303700). Comparisons use the median of Michigan towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.