Nearly half of Ashland households have incomes below the cost of basic needs. Working families can struggle to get established, while some longtime residents—including older renters and homeowners—struggle to stay.
Living in poverty
15.2%of people · ACS 2020–243,058 of 20,161 peopleValues & sources
Below 100% of the Census poverty threshold. FPL means Federal Poverty Level, often used for federal poverty guidelines. The Census uses statistical thresholds that vary by family size and composition; healthcare programs use a related, separate guideline. For context, the 2026 guideline is $15,960 a year for one person or $33,000 for four people. Those current guidelines were not used to calculate this historical rate.
30.2%of people · ACS 2020–246,089 of 20,161 peopleValues & sources
Income below twice the Census poverty threshold, including people living in poverty. This is the dashboard’s definition of low income. “Below 200% FPL” is common shorthand, but the Census rate uses statistical poverty thresholds. For context, twice the 2026 guideline is $31,920 for one person or $66,000 for four people; these are not the cutoffs used for this historical rate.
46.8%of households · 20244,936 of 10,536 householdsValues & sources
Household income falls below the ALICE basic-cost threshold: housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, technology and taxes. Costs vary by location and household composition. This includes households in poverty plus ALICE households—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—above poverty but below basic costs. The threshold includes households of different ages and employment situations. It compares income with basic costs, not savings, home equity or other assets. These households overlap with the poverty measures; the percentages must not be added.
Ashland households with a householder aged 65+ · ACS 2020–24 · income in 2024 dollars. The two cards show separate income groups; households earning $50,000–$99,999 are not shown.
Income is not the whole picture
Income pays the bills. Savings and home equity provide a cushion. Households with similar incomes can have very different financial security.
ALICE crosses generations. Working households can earn too little to cover basic costs while having little savings or housing equity. Older households can also fall below the ALICE threshold; some have housing assets while others—especially renters—have less financial protection. Income alone does not tell us who can comfortably remain in Ashland or absorb rising costs.
Values & sources
ACS B19037: 1,753 of 4,349 households with a householder aged 65+ have income below $50,000; 1,283 have $100,000 or more. These are household incomes, not individual seniors’ incomes. The groups do not describe all older residents. Estimates have sampling uncertainty.
ACS B25007: 3,017 of 4,349 households with a householder aged 65+ own their homes (69.4%), compared with 2,424 of 6,187 under age 65 (39.2%). Tenure does not reveal purchase price, mortgage balance, equity or disposable income.
The City’s 2025–2029 CDBG plan also identifies housing-cost burdens among lower-income elderly households. Its tables 9–10 use 2013–2017 CHAS data, not current 2026 counts. CHAS elderly-household categories differ from ACS householder age 65+.
Renters spending 30% or more of gross income on housing
58.9%
Renters with a known ratio · ACS 2020–24
2,707 of 4,598
SEVERELY COST BURDENED
Renters spending 50% or more of gross income on housing
35.5%
Renters with a known ratio · ACS 2020–24
1,633 of 4,598 · included in the 58.9%
Values & sources
Of 5,095 renter-occupied units in B25070, 497 have no computed rent-to-income ratio. Among all renter units, known 30%+ burden is 53.1%, and known 50%+ burden is 32.1%; unknown cases are not counted as unburdened. As shares of all 10,536 city households, these known cost-burdened renter households are 25.7% and 15.5%. The remaining 1,891 computed renter cases pay less than 30%; 1,074 pay 30–49.9%; 1,633 pay at least 50%.
The brief’s 48% and 26.3% figures used other vintages or definitions. This display harmonizes B25003 and B25070 to ACS 2020–24. Gross rent includes contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities. Estimates carry sampling error. Original ACS table values and margins of error via Census Reporter.
More Ashland households waiting for vouchers than holding them
Households holding vouchers292
Households on the waiting list380
0100200300400 households
Ashland figures reported in the City’s 2025–2029 Consolidated Plan; counts supplied by the Housing Authority of Jackson County (HAJC).
Regional context: HAJC separately reports waits of 6 months–4 years for affordable apartments, depending on property and unit size. This describes its regional apartment properties, not the Ashland voucher waiting list.
Values & sources
What is counted: The City reports 292 Ashland households holding Section 8 vouchers and 380 on the voucher waiting list. Section 8, also called the Housing Choice Voucher program, helps eligible households pay rent. These are figures reported in the plan, not a live count; the underlying count date is not specified in the cited passage.
What the comparison means: The waiting list indicates demand for rental assistance. It is not an exact count of currently eligible households receiving no other help, and it should not be added to property waiting lists or homelessness-service enrollments.
A voucher does not guarantee a rental: The City reports that high rents and low vacancies prevent some voucher holders from securing affordable housing. Holding a voucher is not necessarily the same as successfully leasing a home.
Apartment waiting times: HAJC’s regional housing overview reports the 6-month–4-year range. These apartments have below-market rents, which are not necessarily based on a tenant’s income. The range is not a guaranteed wait for any applicant. HAJC · Housing options and availability (reviewed September 20, 2026).
When income outgrows assistance before it covers basic needs
$0$50k$100k$150k
30% Area Median IncomeHUD 2026 · program income limit
$29,450
100% federal poverty guideline2026 contiguous U.S. · healthcare reference
$33,000
50% Area Median IncomeVery low income · HOME 2026 reference; voucher rules below
$49,050
60% Area Median IncomeHOME 2026 reference · rental developments have their own limits
$58,860
OHP Bridge · 200% poverty2026 BHP annual standard uses 2025 poverty guidelines; other conditions apply
$64,300
SNAP income guidelineMarch 2026–February 2027 monthly guideline × 12; not a benefit guarantee
$66,000
80% Area Median IncomeLow income · HUD HOME 2026 reference
$78,500
ALICE survival budgetJackson County · 2024 costs / 2026 release · 2 adults + infant + preschooler
$90,708
100% median family incomeHUD 2026 · four-person reference
$98,100
The gold marker shows your chosen income. A household can exceed a food or health assistance guideline while still falling short of a basic-needs budget. Hover over a row for the comparison. This does not determine eligibility or count how many Ashland households face that gap.
Housing and transportation costs need to be considered together: a lower rent does not necessarily mean a lower total cost of living.
The same dollar amount does not mean the same eligibility or hardship. HUD uses county-area income and household size; poverty guidelines are national policy thresholds; ALICE budgets vary with household composition. The ALICE example uses 2024 Jackson County costs from the 2026 release for two adults, an infant and a preschooler; it is not a universal four-person cost. HOME’s 30% limit is not Section 8’s poverty-adjusted “extremely low income” limit.
Values & sources
Area Median Income (AMI) is HUD’s regional family-income reference, adjusted for household size. The 30% and 80% amounts shown are HUD HOME program limits for 2026, not simple percentages of Ashland’s city median household income. Federal poverty guidelines are national income benchmarks. ALICE’s survival budget estimates local basic costs for a specific household; the $90,708 figure ($7,559 monthly) is the 2024 Jackson County budget for two adults, an infant and a preschooler, published in the 2026 release. It replaces the older $88,236 example; the Oregon-wide figure of $91,452 is not used for this county comparison. The 100% median family income reference is $98,100 for four people in 2026.
People
HOME 30%
50%
60%
80%
100% MFI*
120%*
100% FPL
138% FPL
150% FPL
200% FPL
250% FPL
305% FPL
400% FPL
1
$20,650
$34,350
$41,220
$54,950
$68,670
$82,404
$15,960
$22,025
$23,940
$31,920
$39,900
$48,678
$63,840
2
$23,600
$39,250
$47,100
$62,800
$78,480
$94,176
$21,640
$29,863
$32,460
$43,280
$54,100
$66,002
$86,560
3
$26,550
$44,150
$52,980
$70,650
$88,290
$105,948
$27,320
$37,702
$40,980
$54,640
$68,300
$83,326
$109,280
4
$29,450
$49,050
$58,860
$78,500
$98,100
$117,720
$33,000
$45,540
$49,500
$66,000
$82,500
$100,650
$132,000
*Four-person MFI $98,100 is verified. Smaller-household 100% amounts apply illustrative HUD size factors 70/80/90%; 120% amounts multiply that reference by 1.2. These derived comparisons are not official program limits.
2026 FPL: $33,000 for four people; 300% is $99,000. The uploaded $92–94k comparison referred to an earlier vintage. HOME limits effective June 1, 2026. Adult OHP’s income screen is 138% including a five-point disregard; OHP Bridge BHP uses 200% without that disregard; CHIP’s published monthly threshold is 305%. Age, household rules, coverage and other conditions also apply. Monthly rounding can differ from annual dollar multiplication. Marketplace 2026 coverage uses 2025 FPL, so this current-year table is not a Marketplace subsidy calculator.
HUD calls the 50% category “very low income” and the 80% category “low income.” Housing Choice Vouchers generally serve households at or below 50%; at least 75% of new admissions must be extremely low income, using a poverty-adjusted limit. HOME 30% is not that adjusted limit. Affordable rental properties have different rules, often at 50%, 60% or 80%; check the specific property. “80–120% middle income” is a planning description, not a universal benefit rule. The income marker does not account for assets, deductions, household definitions, waiting lists or program availability.
NOTE: These series use older data (2018–22) so both cover the same period. The poverty figures above use newer 2020–24 data, so their percentages differ. This comparison does not replace those newer figures.
These bars share a 0–100% scale only. Each bar names its population and period. The labels below each segment identify the income band and its share. AMI and poverty use different definitions and cannot be treated as equivalent groups.
Values & sources
Each segment shows the share of the population named above its bar. Both bars use 2018–22 ACS data. Other poverty cards use the newer 2020–24 period; this comparison uses the latest period listed in HUD’s CHAS release so the two bars align in time.
HUD CHAS income counts: 1,475 / 1,165 / 1,580 / 695 / 5,205, totaling 10,120 households. AMI categories are adjusted for household size; each band includes its upper endpoint. CHAS counts are rounded and have sampling uncertainty. Poverty ratios use ACS B17024, summing income bands across ages, covering 20,516 residents for whom poverty status is determined. “FPL” here is shorthand for Census statistical poverty thresholds, not healthcare eligibility guidelines. Matching years does not make the two populations or income definitions equivalent. The published CHAS distribution groups all households above 100% AMI together; it does not separately report 100–120%. A separate share for that band cannot be calculated from these data. “Workforce housing” income ranges depend on the particular program or local definition; this chart does not classify eligibility.
Four-person household • 2026 income references • Jackson County
This compares dollar thresholds, not the percentage of Ashland households within them. Band widths represent dollar ranges, not household counts. The above-120% band continues beyond the chart’s $150,000 limit.
Values & sources
Calculated from the dashboard’s 2026 four-person regional median family income of $98,100 and federal poverty guideline of $33,000. All AMI boundaries are simple multiples of that reference, not official program limits. For example: 0.8 × $98,100 = $78,480; 1.2 × $98,100 = $117,720. Dividing by $33,000 gives 237.8% and 356.7% FPL. These are illustrative comparisons, not eligibility determinations.
HUD program limits may be rounded, adjusted or capped: the dashboard’s official 2026 HOME 80% limit is $78,500, slightly different from the mathematical $78,480 endpoint. AMI uses a regional family-income reference; FPL is a national guideline. Neither is Ashland’s citywide median household income. This 2026 policy comparison is separate from the 2018–22 population distributions above.
Illustrative 4-person households · rounded 2024–25 reference points, not current eligibility limits
BASIC NECESSITIES AT RISK
Below $32,000/yr
27–30%Of Ashland households of all sizes Estimated range • ACS 2020–24
Near 100% of the poverty guideline / poverty-adjusted housing income limit
At this income level, keeping stable housing and meeting basic needs becomes much harder. Renters face especially high housing burdens and greater vulnerability to eviction and homelessness. Food insecurity, unreliable transportation, utility hardship and delayed medical care can compound that pressure.
LESS ROOM FOR THINGS TO GO WRONG
Below $93,000/yr
54–66%Of Ashland households of all sizes Estimated range • ACS 2020–24
Upper reference: roughly 300% of the poverty guideline / 100% of area median family income
Housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare and other essentials can leave little financial margin—even when ordinary bills are covered. A car repair, medical bill, rent increase or lost work hours can force tradeoffs, debt or depleted savings.
These percentages count Ashland households of all sizes below fixed income amounts. The risk descriptions illustrate a four-person household; a smaller household has different needs and poverty or AMI limits. These are not poverty rates, shares below 30% AMI, or measured rates of hardship.
Why these numbers?
These are descriptive risk zones, not official hardship categories. Around $32,000, the four-person poverty guideline and a poverty-adjusted housing-program limit closely align. Around $93,000, three times the poverty guideline and the area’s median family income nearly meet; an older local ALICE basic-needs budget is in the same broad range.
The broader group includes households struggling to cover necessities as well as those with little left when something goes wrong. Risk generally declines as income and financial margin increase; $93,000 is not a point where financial stress disappears. Housing costs, household composition, benefits, savings and debt all matter.
Values & sources
What the dollar amounts represent
For four people, the 2024 federal poverty guideline was $31,200; 300% was $93,600. Jackson County’s 2025 median family income reference was $92,400. The 2025 Housing Trust Fund limit was $32,150, reflecting a poverty adjustment. It is not a simple 30% AMI amount: the 2025 HOME 30% limit was $27,700, and $32,000 is about 35% of $92,400. The lower alignment partly follows the program’s poverty adjustment, rather than being two independent measures of local costs.
The local ALICE example is $88,236 for two adults, an infant and a preschooler in Jackson County in 2023, reported by ACCESS in 2025. It is not a universal four-person budget. These mixed-year comparisons explain the rounded reference points; the interactive income comparison above uses newer program limits.
NLIHC · The Gap, 2025 ↗ — Nationally, 75% of extremely low-income renter households spend more than half their income on housing, compared with 38% in the next income group. This supports the housing-risk description; it is not an Ashland homelessness rate.
USDA · Food security in 2024 ↗ — Nationally, 39.4% of households below poverty were food insecure, compared with 13.7% overall.
HUD · Worst Case Housing Needs, 2025 ↗ — Examines unassisted very-low-income renters paying over half their income for rent, living in severely inadequate housing, or both.
These national studies support the general descriptions; they do not establish sharp changes in risk at $32,000 or $93,000, or measure hardship in Ashland within these exact bands.
How many Ashland households fall in these dollar bands?
Among all household sizes, ACS 2020–24 income brackets put 27–30% below $32,000 and 54–66% below $93,000, including the lower-income group. These are not estimates for four-person households and do not count households in the two risk categories.
B19001 covers 10,536 city households: 2,824 below $30,000; 349 in $30,000–$34,999; 5,702 below $75,000; and 1,289 in $75,000–$99,999. For each cutoff, counting none or all of the overlapping bracket gives 2,824–3,173 households below $32,000 and 5,702–6,991 below $93,000. These cumulative groups overlap; the lower group is included in the larger one. Bounds reflect income brackets, not statistical confidence intervals; ACS sampling uncertainty is additional. Income is in 2024 dollars.
Method note: “Basic necessities at risk” and “Less room for things to go wrong” describe potential pressures in the four-person examples, not measured outcomes or official FPL, HUD or ALICE classifications. Income thresholds shown are for illustrative four-person households and should not be applied unchanged to households of different sizes or compositions.
Nearly 9 in 10 enrollments in homelessness services were in the extremely low-income band
Among Jackson County Continuum of Care household enrollments with recorded income, July 2025–June 2026. Extremely low income means at or below 30% of area median income.
88.9% of enrollments with recorded income—not all Jackson County residents. Income was unrecorded for 24.8% of enrollments. Households may be counted more than once. Many people served were adults ages 25–54; the report gives a median age of 36.
Extremely low incomes leave little room to absorb housing costs or financial setbacks. The concentration of very low incomes among homelessness-service enrollments reinforces the connection between affordability and housing instability.
Values & sources
Regional income evidence: Jackson County Continuum of Care (OR-502), FY26 Clients Served: who came in, where from, and where they went, July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026; front page and Q5 “Area median income,” presented to Ashland’s Housing and Human Services Advisory Committee in September 2026. The report uses HMIS service records. Of 16,574 household enrollments, 12,471 had a recorded income band; 88.9% of those were at or below 30% AMI, 7.4% at 31–50%, and 3.7% above 50%. Income was missing for 24.8% of all household enrollments.
Age profile: Q1 counts 10,619 distinct people, using age at their most recent FY26 enrollment. The reported median age is 36. The age chart shows substantial numbers in the 25–34, 35–44 and 45–54 bands, but does not provide an exact combined percentage for ages 25–54. These person-level figures have a different denominator from the income measure.
What is counted: Each household enrollment is described by its head of household, with income collected at entry. The report distinguishes 16,574 household enrollments from 7,752 distinct household units, so households can appear more than once. The income percentage is enrollment-based, not a percentage of distinct households. Missing income varies by project type; the report attributes most missing records to projects that do not collect income.
What the Continuum of Care does: It coordinates a countywide network of homelessness prevention, housing and supportive services, including shared records and coordinated access to housing. Its records cover participating services, including prevention and permanent housing; they are not a census of everyone experiencing homelessness. These records do not measure the likelihood that an extremely low-income resident will lose housing or establish why households lost housing. Jackson County CoC · mission and role