Population 93,494 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Madison
Household size in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.74 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.67 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.72 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.72 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Madison average 2.72 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Alabama overall, where it has 2.56 people. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.5 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Madison is 38.6 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 36.9 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.1% of households in Madison, well below the national share of 11.6%. Madison has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Alabama cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Madison
Renters in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.1% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.8% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.3% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.0% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Madison rent their homes (27.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 30.0% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the west. The renter share has risen 1.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.3% of homes in Madison are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.0 points, as it has nationally. Only ten of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1995 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1998 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1999 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2005 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +6 | +6 |
Madison has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2005, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1995 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the east. Of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people, only five have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,017 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $995 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,197 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,757 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$740 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Madison costs $1,757 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $740 a month from 2006–10, a 73% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 25.5% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Madison
Bachelor's degrees in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.4% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 51.0% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 55.3% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 61.2% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Madison: 61.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has risen 10.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people, only five have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.6% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.3% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.3% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Madison: 96.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.7 points, mirroring the country. Only ten of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Madison
| Period | Madison | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Madison has been strong: just 1.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Madison compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | 2.72 | 38.6 | 8.1% | 27.0% | 5.3% | 2005 | $1,757 | 61.2% | 96.3% | 1.9% |
| Harvest | 2.79 | 38.1 | 9.6% | 13.3% | 4.7% | 2002 | $1,573 | 36.8% | 91.5% | 2.9% |
| Redstone Arsenal | 3.96 | 39.1 | 14.8% | 98.1% | 3.1% | 1996 | $1,734 | 48.9% | 96.6% | 3.4% |
| Belle Mina | 2.27 | 41.9 | 12.1% | 48.2% | 9.4% | 2013 | $1,467 | 53.9% | 90.1% | 1.6% |
| Huntsville | 2.28 | 38.7 | 11.1% | 41.9% | 10.5% | 1983 | $1,269 | 43.6% | 91.2% | 4.5% |
| Center Hill | 2.61 | 33.9 | 7.9% | 11.4% | 4.5% | 2000 | $986 | 29.7% | 96.3% | 2.1% |
| Mooresville | 2.22 | 41.2 | 12.3% | 48.9% | 9.9% | 2013 | $1,413 | 54.8% | 89.9% | 1.7% |
| Tanner Crossroads | 2.82 | 43.5 | 6.7% | 13.2% | 7.4% | 1998 | $1,607 | 40.0% | 90.9% | 2.6% |
| Tanner | 2.90 | 41.8 | 9.6% | 16.6% | 7.8% | 1990 | $838 | 19.0% | 82.6% | 4.5% |
| Toney | 2.69 | 43.4 | 11.6% | 12.0% | 9.3% | 1999 | $1,201 | 28.0% | 90.8% | 2.8% |
| Athens | 2.64 | 41.7 | 8.7% | 28.0% | 8.9% | 1992 | $1,128 | 27.6% | 85.8% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Racine, WI · Raleigh, NC · Portsmouth, VA · Portland, OR · Rapid City, SD · Providence, RI · Porterville, CA · Rancho Cucamonga, CA · Poughkeepsie, NY · Provo, UT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Madison. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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