• county
  • FIPS 55003
  • Largest town: Ashland

Ashland County, Wisconsin

Ashland County had 16,196 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,045.0 square miles of land. It ranks 62nd of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 11th by land area.

Population
16,196
#62 of 72 in Wisconsin · #2,022 in US
Area
1,045.0 sq mi
#11 of 72 in Wisconsin · #625 in US
Density
15 / sq mi
#65 of 72 in Wisconsin · #2,379 in US
Median household income
$52,158
#71 of 72 in Wisconsin · #2,542 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Ashland County within Wisconsin. Pin: Madison.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Ashland County

Ashland County population, land area and income

Ashland County had 16,196 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,045.0 square miles of land. It ranks 62nd of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 11th by land area. That works out to 15.5 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Wisconsin has 41,821 residents, so Ashland County has 39% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $52,158 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

16,196

3144th1st

2022nd of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,045 sq mi

3144th1st

625th of 3,144 (US)

Density

15.5 / sq mi

3144th1st

2379th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$52,158

3143rd1st

2542nd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Wisconsin (72)

Population

16,196

72nd1st

62nd of 72 (WI)

Land area

1,045 sq mi

72nd1st

11th of 72 (WI)

Density

15.5 / sq mi

72nd1st

65th of 72 (WI)

Median household income

$52,158

72nd1st

71st of 72 (WI)

How Ashland County's population changed since 2020

Ashland County gained 181 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.1%. That ranks 32nd of 72 in Wisconsin for growth. The median Wisconsin county changed by +1.0%, and the state as a whole by +1.1%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Ashland County recorded 686 births and 874 deaths, a natural change of -188. Net international migration added +116 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +235. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 235 people.

16.0k202016.0k202116.0k202216.1k202316.2k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
686
Deaths
874
Net international migration
+116
Net domestic migration
+235
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+93

Where Ashland County is

The Census internal point of Ashland County is at 46.544400, -90.679700. It sits in UTM zone 15N. The map shades Wisconsin's 72 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Ashland County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Barron County: +0.2%Green County: +0.4%Dunn County: +1.5%Jefferson County: +0.0%Lincoln County: +0.1%Rusk County: -0.1%Fond du Lac County: +0.1%Marquette County: +1.0%Outagamie County: +2.3%Waupaca County: -1.2%Oneida County: +0.8%Eau Claire County: +2.8%Washington County: +1.4%Portage County: +2.3%Menominee County: +0.7%Clark County: +0.5%Monroe County: +0.2%Milwaukee County: -1.5%Buffalo County: +1.1%Lafayette County: +4.2%Ozaukee County: +2.5%Rock County: +1.0%Sheboygan County: +0.2%Green Lake County: +1.8%Waukesha County: +2.3%Calumet County: +2.1%Dodge County: -0.8%Wood County: -0.3%Winnebago County: +0.9%Sawyer County: +4.0%Dane County: +4.6%Sauk County: +1.1%Pepin County: +2.9%Adams County: +3.2%Price County: +0.4%Taylor County: +1.1%Grant County: +0.7%Trempealeau County: -0.0%Vernon County: +2.1%Waushara County: +2.2%Iowa County: +1.0%Crawford County: -0.5%Kenosha County: -0.3%Shawano County: +1.1%Juneau County: -0.7%Jackson County: -0.3%Vilas County: +3.7%Bayfield County: +3.7%Chippewa County: +1.5%Iron County: +1.5%Racine County: +0.3%Door County: +1.3%Ashland County: +1.1%Kewaunee County: +0.9%Polk County: +1.8%Florence County: +2.4%Douglas County: -0.2%Forest County: +3.7%Columbia County: -0.7%Walworth County: +0.7%La Crosse County: +0.1%Manitowoc County: +0.1%Oconto County: +2.5%Langlade County: +0.4%Marathon County: +0.7%Washburn County: +2.2%Brown County: +1.8%Richland County: -0.9%Marinette County: +1.1%St. Croix County: +4.3%Pierce County: +2.7%Burnett County: +3.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +0.1%
  2. < +0.7%
  3. < +1.3%
  4. < +2.3%
  5. ≥ +2.3%
no data

Orange pin: Ashland County internal point. Dark pin: Madison.

Internal point

Decimal
46.544400, -90.679700
DMS
46°32'39.84"N 90°40'46.92"W
UTM
15N 677893.5E 5157152.4N
Geohash
cbr8b91hc
Plus code
86RFG8VC+Q4

Towns in Ashland County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Ashland County, 7,940 people together, or 49% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Ashland County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Ashland with 7,940.

  1. 01Ashland7,940
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Ashland County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for Ashland County, including 4 across a state line. The most populous is Sawyer County, WI, with 18,835 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Madison and the nearest big city

Madison is 248.0 miles SSE of Ashland County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is St. Paul, MN (population 307,465), 160.7 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Superior, WI (population 26,620), 67.2 miles away.

Ashland County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Ashland County is 55003: state code 55 for Wisconsin plus county code 003. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $52,158.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Ashland County, Wisconsin?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 16,196. That is up 181 people (1.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 16,015.

What is the FIPS code of Ashland County?

55003. The first two digits (55) are Wisconsin; the last three (003) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Ashland County?

Ashland, with 7,940 residents inside Ashland County in 2024.

Which counties border Ashland County?

8 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Sawyer County, WI; Bayfield County, WI; Gogebic County, MI; Price County, WI; Lake County, MN; Iron County, WI; Ontonagon County, MI; Cook County, MN.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.