Madison, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Madison, WI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above average
-
B
Income Around average
-
A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Madison | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 260,079 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2476.3 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.03% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.5 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 120,553 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Madison grew by 16.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 260,079 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Madison is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 35.1% of residents. That is 13.7 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 91,194 35.1% +13.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 60,936 23.4% +2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 39,659 15.2% -5.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 31,159 12.0% -5.9 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 Wisconsin, 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 and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.2% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Madison
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Madison has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Madison | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,903 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.11% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Madison is about 4% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Madison | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $433,782 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,396 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 44.6% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Madison is about 25.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,396 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Madison spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Madison | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.1 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,669 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.4% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,590 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,422 | 811 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Madison is 18 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Wisconsin.
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 has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Madison | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.9% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.05 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Health
Madison has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Madison | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.3 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.4% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.7% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Madison, WI Compared With Nearby Cities
How Madison, WI compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | 260,079 | $74,903 #2/2 | $433,782 #2/2 | 18.1 min #1/2 |
| Fitchburg, WI | 34,584 | $98,739 | $450,000 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Madison, Wisconsin.
How many people live in Madison, Wisconsin?
About 260,079 people live in Madison, Wisconsin, in 120,553 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 32.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Madison, Wisconsin?
Averaged over its land area, Madison, Wisconsin has 2,476 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 29 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Madison, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 5.8 times the median household income ($433,782 against $74,903), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,396 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Madison, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Madison, Wisconsin is only 2.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Madison, Wisconsin have a college degree?
49.9% of adults in Madison, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above 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 →