Ashland vs Iron River
Ashland, Wisconsin versus Iron River, Wisconsin: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Ashland and Iron River score about the same overall (45 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Ashland | Iron River |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $47k | $50k |
| Cost of Living | $45k | $46k |
| Home Value | $144k | $121k |
| Monthly Rent | $685 | $619 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $230 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.77% | 1.22% |
| Income Tax | 7.60% | 7.60% |
| Sales Tax | 5.70% | 5.70% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.88% | 12.44% |
| Unemployment | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 14°F | 13°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.0 in | 33.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 73.5 in | 74.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 214 days | 214 days |
| Summer Humidity | 56°F | 56°F |
| Comfortable Days | 62 days | 64 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 56.1 | 52.8 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 62.5 | 57.4 |
| Violent Crime | 903/100k | 397/100k |
| Property Crime | 3310/100k | 1351/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 7,903 | 699 |
| Median Age | 39.7 | 51.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.28 | 0.23 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.10 | 0.78 |
| Political Leaning | D+11 | D+14 |
| White (%) | 81.8% | 85.4% |
| Black (%) | 2.3% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.7% | 5.0% |
| Asian (%) | 1.3% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 10.9% | 9.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 13 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 8.9/20 | 7.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 163 mi | 146 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 74.7% | 75.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 99.96 | 214.59 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Ashland or Iron River more affordable?
- Ashland has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Ashland's $45k and Iron River's $46k. Median rent is $685 in Ashland versus $619 in Iron River.
- Is Ashland or Iron River safer?
- Iron River has the lower violent crime rate. Ashland reports 903/100k and Iron River reports 397/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Ashland or Iron River?
- The median home value is $144k in Ashland and $121k in Iron River, so homes are more affordable in Iron River.