Madison County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Madison County, AR 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 78% of counties in Arkansas
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Madison County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,329 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.7 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.18% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,459 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Madison County grew by 11.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,329 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Madison County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.3% of residents. That is 3.2 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,251 18.8% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,263 18.8% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,873 22.3% +3.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,304 19.1% +1.0 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 Arkansas, 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 50.0% of the people living in Madison County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 50.0% Arkansas 49.4%
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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Madison County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,495 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.58% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Madison County is about 7% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Madison County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $181,248 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $728 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.5% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Madison County is about 20.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $728 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Madison County spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 259 hours, about 10.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Madison County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.1 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.2 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 259 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,038 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,209 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 763 | 912 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arkansas:
Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min).
Slowest:
Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).
The average commute time in Madison County is 31 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in Arkansas.
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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Madison County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.66 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arkansas:
Pulaski County (0.3), Benton County (0.3), Washington County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2), Scott County (0.2).
Health
Madison County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Madison County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.5% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.2% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arkansas:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Phillips County (0.7), Chicot County (0.7), Desha County (0.8).
Madison County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
Madison County, AR is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 17,329 residents against a local median of 28,630. The measure that sets Madison County, AR apart most is median home price: $181,248, 152% above the local median of $71,928.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 31.1 min against a local median of 17.1 min, 81% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 81% above the local median it puts Madison County, AR at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $151,647 on median home price, so Madison County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Madison County, AR has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, AR | 17,329 | $56,495 #2/4 | $181,248 #1/4 | 31.1 min #4/4 |
| Carroll County, AR | 28,630 | $55,547 | $71,928 | 16.6 min |
| Washington County, AR | 256,746 | $70,909 | $170,355 | 18.7 min |
| Johnson County, AR | 26,012 | $45,972 | $18,708 | 17.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Madison County, Arkansas.
How many people live in Madison County, Arkansas?
About 17,329 people live in Madison County, Arkansas, in 6,459 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Madison County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Madison County, Arkansas has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Madison County, Arkansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($181,248 against $56,495), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $728 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Madison County, Arkansas have a college degree?
11.4% of adults in Madison County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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