Madison County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Madison County, IA 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 averageHealthier than 91% of counties in Iowa
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 76% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Madison County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,926 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 30.1 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.98% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,696 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Madison County grew by 11.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,926 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Madison County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,093 18.3% -4.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,402 20.1% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,633 21.5% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,994 17.7% on par
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Iowa, 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 49.8% of the people living in Madison County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.2% Iowa 50.0%
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 | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,339 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.01% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Madison County is about 18% higher than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Madison County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $208,333 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,036 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.1% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Madison County is about 16.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,036 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Madison County spend about 60 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 251 hours, about 10.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Madison County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.1 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.2 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 251 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,771 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 17.4% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,359 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 735 | 606 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Iowa:
Sioux County (10.1 min), Union County (10.4 min), Cass County (10.6 min).
Slowest:
Monroe County (30.4 min), Madison County (30.1 min), Mills County (26.7 min).
The average commute time in Madison County is 30 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Madison County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.2% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.4), Dallas County (0.4), Story County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crawford County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Louisa County (0.2).
Health
Madison County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Madison County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.2% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.8% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.8), Story County (0.8), Winneshiek County (0.8).
Lowest:
Davis County (0.8), Wayne County (0.8), Appanoose County (0.8).
Madison County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Madison County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, IA | 16,926 | $88,339 #3/3 | $208,333 #3/3 | 30.1 min #3/3 |
| Dallas County, IA | 107,966 | $102,109 | $279,595 | 20.4 min |
| Warren County, IA | 54,398 | $95,575 | $310,000 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Madison County, Iowa.
What is the population of Madison County, Iowa?
About 16,926 people live in Madison County, Iowa, in 6,696 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Madison County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Madison County, Iowa has 30 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 35% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Madison County, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($208,333 against $88,339), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,036 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Madison County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Madison County, Iowa is only 3.5%, 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, Iowa?
24.2% of adults in Madison County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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