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CITY

Madison

Wisconsin · 286,233 residents (2025 est.) · 83.088 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#77Largest by populationof 4,896286,233
The short version

Madison has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $78,050. Population has grown 34% since 2000. 60% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $372,900. At a median age of 31.8, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
60% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 49%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
278,001
+34%since 2000
from 208,054 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
3,346 / sq mi
+21%since 2009
from 2,757 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
31.8
+4%since 2000
from 30.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:286,233 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
183K209K235K261K287K1990201020202024Madison
2024278K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.7%(13,161)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.4%(12,201)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.5%(12,545)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.9%(21,910)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2415.3%(42,496)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3418.5%(51,309)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413%(36,193)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.6%(26,799)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649%(25,147)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.8%(21,820)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.7%(10,381)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(4,039)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$78,050
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $41,941 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,425
+110%since 2000
from $23,498 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
51.4%
+19.8 ptssince 2009
from 31.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.4%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 15.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.469
+4%since 2010
from 0.453 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services6.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade3%
US avg: 6.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Finance & insurance2.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$372,900
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $137,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,413
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $644 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
46.0%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 47.7% in 2000
54.0% rent
Vacancy rate
3.9%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
20.7%
−9.4 ptssince 2009
from 30.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.2%
−4.3 ptssince 2009
from 52.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.8
+13%since 2009
from 4.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
56
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Madison on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic82%(170,509)
Black5.8%(11,987)
Hispanic / Latino4.1%(8,512)
Asian5.8%(12,000)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic69.6%(193,375)
Black7.2%(19,962)
Hispanic / Latino9.4%(26,165)
Asian8%(22,178)
Other5.9%(16,321)
Diversity Score
62
+35%since 2009
from 46 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.6%(15,604)
South American1.3%(3,643)
Puerto Rican0.7%(1,951)
Central American0.6%(1,595)
Colombian0.5%(1,394)
Spaniard0.4%(1,073)
Venezuelan0.2%(666)
Cuban0.2%(619)
Ecuadorian0.2%(546)
Honduran0.2%(474)
Nicaraguan0.2%(430)
Argentine0.1%(329)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(255)
Uruguayan0.1%(237)
Costa Rican0.1%(232)
Chilean0.1%(228)
Peruvian0.1%(204)
Panamanian0.1%(185)
Guatemalan0.1%(164)
Salvadoran0%(110)
Bolivian0%(30)
Asian origin
Chinese2.6%(7,259)
Asian Indian2.2%(6,084)
Hmong0.7%(1,880)
Korean0.5%(1,457)
Filipino0.4%(981)
Laotian0.3%(786)
Vietnamese0.2%(596)
Japanese0.2%(479)
Pakistani0.2%(437)
Taiwanese0.1%(380)
Cambodian0.1%(300)
Indonesian0.1%(159)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0.1%(158)
Malaysian0%(112)
Nepalese0%(98)
Bhutanese0%(42)
Kazakh0%(34)
Burmese0%(29)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(34)
Samoan0%(24)
Ancestry
German27.5%(76,382)
Irish12.4%(34,409)
English9.5%(26,529)
Norwegian5.8%(16,038)
Polish5.4%(15,036)
Italian4.2%(11,669)
Swedish2%(5,567)
American1.9%(5,236)
French1.9%(5,209)
Dutch1.9%(5,157)
Scottish1.8%(5,127)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Swiss1.1%(2,933)
Czech1%(2,675)
Russian0.9%(2,572)
Welsh0.7%(1,973)
British0.7%(1,939)
Danish0.6%(1,696)
Arab0.6%(1,672)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(1,335)
French Canadian0.4%(1,200)
Hungarian0.4%(1,113)
Finnish0.4%(1,021)
Lithuanian0.4%(984)
Ukrainian0.4%(976)
Somali0.3%(952)
Greek0.3%(921)
Croatian0.3%(838)
Austrian0.3%(817)
Belgian0.3%(790)
West Indian0.3%(768)
Portuguese0.2%(556)
Iranian0.2%(531)
Slovak0.2%(522)
Canadian0.2%(476)
Romanian0.2%(462)
Lebanese0.2%(432)
Brazilian0.1%(387)
Jamaican0.1%(386)
Egyptian0.1%(373)
Turkish0.1%(366)
Slovene0.1%(250)
Haitian0.1%(210)
Nigerian0.1%(207)
Serbian0.1%(191)
Latvian0.1%(185)
Palestinian0.1%(177)
Israeli0.1%(158)
Bulgarian0%(129)
Armenian0%(92)
Ghanaian0%(78)
Guyanese0%(73)
Ethiopian0%(62)
Syrian0%(42)
Jordanian0%(41)
Barbadian0%(26)
Moroccan0%(22)
Kenyan0%(15)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Norwegian population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
59.9%
+11.7 ptssince 2000
from 48.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.8%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 92.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
25.7%
+4.8 ptssince 2000
from 20.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.4 min
+74%since 2000
from 11.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
56.7%
−7.3 ptssince 2009
from 64.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.8%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
5.3%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
20.5%
+17.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
7.6%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
2.9%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
12.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 5.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
70.3%
−2.5 ptssince 2011
from 72.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
16.6%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 19.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
58.6%
−15.7 ptssince 2009
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
Female
50.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
Foreign born
11.6%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.4%
−45.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2012
from 8.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.2%
−88.0 ptssince 2013
from 92.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.3%
+6.4 ptssince 2017
from 84.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
85.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 84.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
6.1%
+0.8 ptssince 2016
from 5.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married53.6%(64,161)
Married38.3%(45,879)
Widowed1.5%(1,830)
Divorced6.5%(7,788)
Women 15+
Never married48.7%(58,603)
Married37.4%(44,990)
Widowed4.5%(5,473)
Divorced9.4%(11,370)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Neighborhoods in Madison

CapitolHill Farms, University NeighborhNeighborhoods in Madison
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Madison, Wisconsin?

Madison, Wisconsin has about 278,001 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Madison, Wisconsin?

The typical household in Madison, Wisconsin earns about $78,050 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Madison, Wisconsin expensive?

In Madison, Wisconsin, the median home is worth about $372,900, and the typical rent is about $1,413 a month.

How educated are people in Madison, Wisconsin?

About 59.9% of adults age 25 and over in Madison, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Madison, Wisconsin?

About 16.4% of people in Madison, Wisconsin live below the federal poverty line.

Has Madison, Wisconsin grown since 1990?

Yes, Madison, Wisconsin has grown since 1990. The population has added about 86,739 residents, a change of about 45 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →