Population 264,238 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Madison County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Madison County
Household size in Madison County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.52 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.53 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.49 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Madison County run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across the St. Louis area. Household size has edged down from 2.48 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 38.5 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.7 | 39.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.4 | 40.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.9 | 40.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +2.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Madison County are younger than 40.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.0, as it has nationally.
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 County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 11.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 11.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Madison County (11.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share fell.
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 County
Renters in Madison County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.5% | 28.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.6% | 30.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.6% | 31.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.8% | 29.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Madison County rent their homes (25.8%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About four in ten owners (40.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Compared with other Illinois counties, though, Madison County has a higher share of renters than most.
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 County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 9.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 10.1% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Madison County: 8.0% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is down 0.6 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Madison County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Illinois counties.
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 County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1972 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1973 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Madison County run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the southwest.
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 County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $735 | $825 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $800 | $920 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $896 | $1,010 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,069 | $1,239 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$333 | +$414 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Madison County pays $1,069 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $333 a month since 2006–10, up 45%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.3% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the southwest.
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 County
Bachelor's degrees in Madison County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.8% | 30.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.2% | 32.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.0% | 34.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Madison County than nationally: 32.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the southwest.
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 County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.0% | 88.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.7% | 90.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 92.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.1% | 93.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Madison County is above the national rate: 94.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Madison County has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Illinois counties.
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 County
| Period | Madison County | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 8.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 4.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Madison County than nationally: unemployment was 4.5%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.7 points, 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 County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 2.41 | 40.9 | 11.1% | 25.8% | 8.0% | 1974 | $1,069 | 32.6% | 94.1% | 4.5% |
| Bond County | 2.32 | 41.4 | 8.4% | 23.4% | 10.8% | 1970 | $761 | 22.9% | 90.6% | 3.8% |
| St. Charles County | 2.59 | 40.8 | 8.5% | 19.5% | 4.5% | 1993 | $1,476 | 42.7% | 95.7% | 3.0% |
| Lincoln County | 2.80 | 38.6 | 12.4% | 21.0% | 4.5% | 1996 | $1,032 | 18.8% | 90.5% | 3.8% |
| Fayette County | 2.63 | 41.1 | 11.0% | 19.4% | 11.3% | 1971 | $860 | 16.0% | 86.4% | 3.9% |
| Warren County | 2.70 | 42.1 | 9.0% | 19.8% | 12.9% | 1998 | $1,088 | 20.7% | 90.8% | 4.1% |
| Montgomery County | 2.43 | 44.4 | 12.5% | 26.6% | 18.7% | 1978 | $842 | 17.6% | 88.5% | 3.2% |
| Clay County | 2.41 | 41.7 | 13.2% | 20.7% | 14.2% | 1975 | $719 | 13.2% | 90.5% | 4.6% |
| Richland County | 2.40 | 41.7 | 8.3% | 26.2% | 13.0% | 1973 | $723 | 18.7% | 91.2% | 3.0% |
| Callaway County | 2.53 | 41.8 | 12.5% | 24.5% | 11.4% | 1984 | $914 | 24.6% | 90.9% | 4.6% |
| Lawrence County | 2.61 | 41.5 | 10.9% | 28.2% | 15.0% | 1964 | $814 | 14.7% | 87.3% | 7.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Clayton County, GA · Caddo Parish, LA · Calcasieu Parish, LA · Canyon County, ID · Champaign County, IL · Warren County, OH · Chatham County, GA · Cherokee County, GA · Chesapeake City, VA · Chesterfield County, VA
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 County. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.