Town guide

Ashland, Massachusetts

Ashland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, home to about 18,873 people across 12 square miles. Its ZIP code is 01721.

Homes sold for a median of $353 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population18,8731,529 per sq mi
Median home value$611,700Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$353Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking62%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Ashland

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ashland. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Ashland’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Ashland

Distances

Nearest major airportBoston Logan International Airport (BOS)24 miles away
Closer regional airportLaurence G Hanscom Field (BED)17 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Boston, MA23 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY169 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Ashland; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Ashland

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Ashland had 18,832 residents in the 2020 census, up 28% since 2000.

It’s the 104th largest of 351 towns in Massachusetts by population.

Middlesex County grew from 565,696 residents in 1900 to 1,632,002 in 2020.

Ashland population by census2000: 14,674, 2010: 16,593, 2020: 18,83214,674200016,593201018,8322020

Middlesex County, 1900–2020

Middlesex County population, 1900 to 20201900: 565,696, 1910: 669,915, 1920: 778,352, 1930: 934,924, 1940: 971,390, 1950: 1,064,569, 1960: 1,238,742, 1970: 1,397,268, 1980: 1,367,034, 1990: 1,398,468, 2000: 1,465,396, 2010: 1,503,085, 2020: 1,632,002566K’00’10778K’20’30971K’40’501.2M’60’701.4M’80’901.5M’00’101.6M’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 18°F. About 47.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 46 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near AshlandJan: high 35°F, low 18°F, 3.4 in; Feb: high 38°F, low 18°F, 3.1 in; Mar: high 46°F, low 25°F, 4 in; Apr: high 58°F, low 35°F, 4.1 in; May: high 68°F, low 46°F, 3.8 in; Jun: high 77°F, low 56°F, 4.1 in; Jul: high 82°F, low 62°F, 3.9 in; Aug: high 80°F, low 59°F, 3.8 in; Sep: high 73°F, low 52°F, 4.2 in; Oct: high 62°F, low 40°F, 4.8 in; Nov: high 51°F, low 31°F, 3.7 in; Dec: high 41°F, low 23°F, 4.4 in35°18°Jan3.438°18°Feb3.146°25°Mar4.058°35°Apr4.168°46°May3.877°56°Jun4.182°62°Jul3.980°59°Aug3.873°52°Sep4.262°40°Oct4.851°31°Nov3.741°23°Dec4.4Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Natick, MA weather station (6 miles away).

Jobs in Middlesex County

963,417 jobs at 44,624 businesses in Middlesex County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Middlesex CountyProfessional services: 159,471 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 126,002 jobs; Educational services: 92,086 jobs; Retail trade: 79,115 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 68,258 jobs; Manufacturing: 67,626 jobs; Information: 67,368 jobs; Wholesale trade: 51,000 jobsProfessional services 17% Health care and social assistance 13% Educational services 10% Retail trade 8% Hotels and restaurants 7% Manufacturing 7% Information 7% Wholesale trade 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

93 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Ashland.

Nearest hospitals

  • Metrowest Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 1 of 5 · Framingham2.9 miles
  • Milford Regional Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Milford7.9 miles
  • Marlborough HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Marlborough8.5 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors2
Dentists13
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants10
Mental health providers34
Physical and occupational therapists31
Optometrists1
Chiropractors2
Pharmacies3

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Ashland

Parks (11 nearby)

  • Cushing Memorial Park · 68 acres2.2 mi
  • Long Athletic Field Complex · 25 acres2.1 mi
  • Farm Pond Park · 23 acres2.3 mi
  • Stone Park · 11 acres0.5 mi
  • Gryncel Park · 8 acres1.5 mi
  • Bates Park · 6 acres2.1 mi

Grocery stores (3 nearby)

  • Shaw's1.6 mi
  • Market Basket1.6 mi
  • Waverly Market2.1 mi

Pharmacies (2 nearby)

  • CVS Pharmacy0.4 mi
  • Walgreens1.6 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Ashland Public Library0.5 mi

Museums

  • Knight Hall2.9 mi
  • Danforth Art3.5 mi
  • Framingham Historical Society3.6 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • Hopkinton Center for the Arts3.9 mi
  • The Center For Arts In Natick6.0 mi
  • Keiter Center6.4 mi

Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1750.

Notable people born here

  • Frank Nelson Cole (1861) · American mathematician (1861–1926)

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Ashland

Public schools here are run by Ashland. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (5)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
William Pittaway ElementaryAshlandPre-K86Public0.3 mi
Henry E Warren ElementaryAshlandK–2584Public1.1 mi
David MindessAshland3–5670Public0.7 mi
Ashland MiddleAshland6–8685Public0.8 mi
Ashland HighAshland9–12884Public0.9 mi
Private schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Metrowest Christian AcademyAshlandPre-K–5140Christian (no specific denomination)1.2 mi
Pincushion Hill Montessori SchoolAshlandPre-K–K10Nonsectarian1.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Ashland

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.