Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ashland, Alabama
A $174,000 home here costs
$1,421per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $895. The real number is $527 higher every month — 59% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Ashland against Clay County and Alabama
| Measure | Ashland | Clay County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $173,900 | $144,700 |
| Median property tax | $530 | $326 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.305% | 0.225% |
| Median gross rent | $352 | $624 |
| Population | 1,779 | 14,188 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ashland sits in Clay County, which averages a high of 89.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.1°F in its coldest, with 59.7" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,561 cooling and 2,954 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Clay County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Clay County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ashland?
A $174,000 home in Ashland, Alabama costs approximately $1,421 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $895 principal and interest, $44 property tax, $119 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $145 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ashland?
Ashland has an effective property tax rate of 0.305%, based on a median home value of $173,900 and median real estate taxes of $530. That is higher than the Clay County average of 0.225%.
What is the average home price in Ashland?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ashland, Alabama is $173,900, against $144,700 across Clay County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ashland?
Median gross rent in Ashland is $352 a month, against $1,421 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Ashland — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.