The Madison metro area: Columbia, Dane, Green and Iowa counties · Population 691,830 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Madison area
Household size in the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
The Madison area is a place of small households, averaging 2.30 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.43 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other large metro area has smaller households.
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 the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.9 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.3 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.9 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in the Madison area are younger than 38.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Wisconsin overall, where the median age is 41.4. The median age has climbed from 37.0 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.2% of households in the Madison area, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 0.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Few large metro areas have a lower share of single-parent households: only two of 100.
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 the Madison area
Renters in the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.9% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.7% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in the Madison area than nationally: 39.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. About a third of owners (34.2%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the north. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.5 points, a much bigger shift than 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 the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.5% of homes in the Madison area are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 3.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only one other large metro area has 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 the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in the Madison area was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Wisconsin overall, where the median home dates to 1974. The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $868 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $950 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,072 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,366 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$498 | +$380 | +$606 |
Rent in the Madison area runs $1,366 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Wisconsin overall ($1,139). Rents are up $498 a month from 2006–10, a 57% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 the Madison area
Bachelor's degrees in the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 43.6% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.9% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 50.6% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in the Madison area: 50.6% 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. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 9.3 points, as it has nationally. Only six of the 100 large U.S. metro areas 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 the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.4% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.1% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in the Madison area: 95.1% 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 edged up 1.3 points, a smaller shift than nationally. Of the 100 large U.S. metro areas, only two 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 the Madison area
| Period | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in the Madison area has been strong: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. The Madison area has the lowest unemployment rate of any large metro area. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.4 points, in line with the national trend.
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).
Largest cities in the Madison area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison area (all) | 2.30 | 38.9 | 8.2% | 39.7% | 5.5% | 1983 | $1,366 | 50.6% | 95.1% | 2.6% |
| Sun Prairie | 2.47 | 37.8 | 9.9% | 35.6% | 3.3% | 1995 | $1,482 | 51.7% | 97.0% | 2.3% |
| Fitchburg | 2.14 | 36.3 | 8.3% | 48.9% | 3.1% | 1993 | $1,463 | 56.8% | 94.4% | 2.7% |
| Middleton | 2.27 | 41.3 | 8.3% | 45.2% | 4.9% | 1989 | $1,552 | 65.6% | 96.0% | 2.5% |
| Verona | 2.32 | 37.9 | 5.6% | 34.4% | 4.7% | 2005 | $1,770 | 69.4% | 98.6% | 1.5% |
| Waunakee | 2.63 | 42.3 | 9.8% | 23.5% | 4.7% | 1995 | $1,375 | 59.9% | 97.9% | 1.4% |
| Stoughton | 2.38 | 43.5 | 8.1% | 23.6% | 6.9% | 1978 | $1,165 | 41.0% | 96.2% | 1.6% |
| Baraboo | 2.20 | 43.9 | 8.6% | 33.1% | 7.9% | 1972 | $989 | 26.1% | 93.0% | 2.5% |
| DeForest | 2.61 | 41.7 | 11.0% | 19.5% | 5.1% | 1993 | $1,355 | 42.1% | 96.9% | 2.0% |
| Platteville | 2.28 | 29.7 | 7.0% | 50.3% | 8.9% | 1976 | $865 | 43.4% | 95.0% | 4.3% |
| Oregon | 2.51 | 40.6 | 10.7% | 23.3% | 3.0% | 1991 | $1,482 | 50.6% | 97.7% | 1.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Wichita area · Syracuse area · Daytona Beach area · Provo area · Winston-Salem area · Poughkeepsie area · Akron area · Des Moines area · Lakeland area · Little Rock area
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 the Madison area. 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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