Madison County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Madison County, AL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Alabama
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Alabama
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A
Education Above averageBest educated county in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Madison County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 405,488 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 499.3 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.86% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.3 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 164,915 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Madison County grew by 29.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 405,488 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Madison County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.4% of residents. That is 0.9 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 90,782 22.4% +0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 87,064 21.5% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 83,673 20.6% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 63,418 15.6% -2.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Alabama, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.0% of the people living in Madison County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 49.0% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Madison County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Madison County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Madison County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,187 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.61% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Madison County is about 34% higher than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Madison County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $198,391 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,208 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.3% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Madison County is about 13.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,208 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Madison County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Madison County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.3 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.6 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,500 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.1% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,750 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,064 | 1,193 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Alabama:
Pike County (16.4 min), Houston County (18.3 min), Escambia County (18.5 min).
Slowest:
Blount County (33.2 min), Pickens County (32.5 min), Lowndes County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Madison County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Madison County has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Madison County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.2% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Alabama:
Madison County (0.4), Shelby County (0.3), Lee County (0.3).
Lowest:
Bibb County (0.2), Barbour County (0.2), Wilcox County (0.2).
Health
Madison County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Madison County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.7% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.4% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Alabama:
Shelby County (0.8), Lee County (0.8), Baldwin County (0.8).
Lowest:
Greene County (0.7), Wilcox County (0.7), Perry County (0.7).
Madison County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
Madison County, AL is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 405,488 residents against a local median of 99,748. The measure that sets Madison County, AL apart most is median household income: $86,187, 31% above the local median of $65,641. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $198,391 against a local median of $236,233, 16% below it. The counties themselves spread $29,999 on median household income, so Madison County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Madison County, AL has the highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, AL | 405,488 | $86,187 #1/6 | $198,391 #4/6 | 21.3 min #2/6 |
| Lincoln County, TN | 35,946 | $65,641 | $259,155 | 27.5 min |
| Morgan County, AL | 124,471 | $68,699 | $236,233 | 22.6 min |
| Limestone County, AL | 111,233 | $82,554 | $339,394 | 25.3 min |
| Marshall County, AL | 99,748 | $64,170 | $178,269 | 20.4 min |
| Jackson County, AL | 53,053 | $52,554 | $41,299 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Madison County, Alabama.
What is the population of Madison County, Alabama?
About 405,488 people live in Madison County, Alabama, in 164,915 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Madison County, Alabama mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Madison County, Alabama has 499 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Madison County, Alabama?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($198,391 against $86,187), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,208 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Madison County, Alabama?
Unemployment in Madison County, Alabama is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Madison County, Alabama?
41.2% of adults in Madison County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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