Madison County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Madison County, NE Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Madison County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,532 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 61.8 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.15% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.6 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,462 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Madison County grew by 2.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 35,532 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Madison County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.8% of residents. That is 1.0 points below Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,737 21.8% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,965 19.6% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,915 19.5% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,558 15.6% -0.6 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 Nebraska, 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 50.5% of the people living in Madison County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 49.5% Nebraska 50.1%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Madison County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,671 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.26% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Madison County is about 18% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Madison County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $86,666 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $880 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Madison County is about 8.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $880 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Madison County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Madison County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.7 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,058 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,436 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 994 | 691 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Nebraska:
Hooker County (7.4 min), Cherry County (8.0 min), Box Butte County (8.0 min).
Slowest:
Cass County (28.0 min), Banner County (27.2 min), Saunders County (26.9 min).
The average commute time in Madison County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Nebraska.
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 | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Nebraska:
Sarpy County (0.3), Lancaster County (0.3), Douglas County (0.3).
Lowest:
Dakota County (0.2), Colfax County (0.2), Dawson County (0.2).
Health
Madison County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Madison County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.6% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Nebraska:
Wayne County (0.8), Sarpy County (0.8), Lancaster County (0.8).
Lowest:
Thurston County (0.8), Pawnee County (0.8), Dundy County (0.8).
Madison County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Madison County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, NE | 35,532 | $62,671 #2/2 | $86,666 #1/2 | 11.8 min #1/2 |
| Platte County, NE | 34,716 | $71,554 | $73,077 | 12.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Madison County, Nebraska.
How big is Madison County, Nebraska by population?
About 35,532 people live in Madison County, Nebraska, in 14,462 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Madison County, Nebraska?
Averaged over its land area, Madison County, Nebraska has 62 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Madison County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($86,666 against $62,671), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $880 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Madison County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Madison County, Nebraska is only 3.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Madison County, Nebraska?
23.0% of adults in Madison County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →