Ashton, Illinois

Village in Lee County · population 967 (2020 Census)

Median home: $114,200
Household income: $62,778
Jan low / Jul high: 12° / 82°
Snow a year: 30 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 14
Median age: 38.9

Ashton is a village of 967 people in Lee County, Illinois. The median home is worth $114,200, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for families than 78% of Illinois towns, quieter than 78% of Illinois towns, easier by car than 78% of Illinois towns.

How Ashton ranks

Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Ashton is worth $114,200, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 1.8 times the median household income of $62,778, which is more affordable than 74% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $898 a month. 63.0% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Ashton	Typical Illinois town
Median home value	$114,200	$156,600
Median rent	$898	$960
Median household income	$62,778	$72,500
Home value ÷ income	1.8×	2.2×
Homeownership	63.0%	76.6%
Median year built	1938	1967
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Ashton

People	Ashton	Typical Illinois town
Median age	38.9	40.4
Age 65 and over	19.5%	18.7%
Under 18	24.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.7%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	14.5%	9.9%
Veterans	4.5%	—
Born outside the U.S.	3.1%	—
Work from home	4.7%	8.9%
Average commute	27.2 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	89.2%	90.4%

Weather in Ashton

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 12.1°F. About 36.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 30.1 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Rochelle station (8.4 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ashton since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF4, struck on April 9, 2015 about 1.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 31, 2023.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 21 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on September 21, 1973.

Severe weather in Lee County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Lee County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Lee County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 26, 2020	Biological	DR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3435: Covid-19
September 19, 2019	Flood	DR-4461: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 17, 2011	Snowstorm	DR-1960: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
December 29, 2006	Snowstorm	EM-3269: Snow

Jobs and pay in Lee County

Lee County had 12,375 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $58,453 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Ashton itself the ACS puts it at 9.9%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Ashton

1 public school with 217 students, about 13.6 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Ashton-Franklin Center HS	7-12	217	13.6

Towns near Ashton

Franklin Grove, IL
4.3 mi · 896 people · home $124,400
Lost Nation, IL
8.0 mi · 714 people · home $236,300
Rochelle, IL
9.0 mi · 9,446 people · home $164,300
Hillcrest, IL
10.7 mi · 1,224 people · home $164,200
Oregon, IL
11.5 mi · 3,604 people · home $142,600
Amboy, IL
12.1 mi · 2,278 people · home $134,800
Dixon, IL
13.2 mi · 15,274 people · home $120,800
Creston, IL
13.6 mi · 627 people · home $167,400

Ashton questions

Is Ashton, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ashton scores better for retirees than 66% of Illinois towns and quieter than 78%. 19.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.9).

How much does a house cost in Ashton?

The median owner-occupied home in Ashton is valued at $114,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $62,778, so homes cost about 1.8 times income. Median rent is $898 a month.

What is the weather like in Ashton?

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 12.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.6 inches of precipitation a year and 30.1 inches of snow.

Does Ashton get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ashton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF4 on April 9, 2015. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ashton's Census boundary (GEOID 1702583). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.