COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Madison County

North Carolina · 16,953 residents · 450 sq mi

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The short version

Madison County is home to 16,953 people in North Carolina. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. Median home value sits at $47,200. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 29%. At a median age of 36.7, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 36.7

US median: 33.0

Less educated

11% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 26%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

16,953

−14%vs 2000

vs 19,635 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

36.7

−7%vs 2000

vs 39.3 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

450 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202422K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 55.5%(929)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 95.6%(942)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.5%(1,100)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.3%(1,411)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 248.3%(1,404)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3413.2%(2,233)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4415%(2,538)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411%(1,859)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6410%(1,703)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 749.3%(1,572)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.8%(990)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.6%(272)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$18,956

−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $30,985 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$9,149

−43%vs 2000

vs $16,076 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

20.4%

+5.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 15.4% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$47,200

−26%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $84,100 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$234

−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $367 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

77.8%

+1.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 76.6% in 2000

22.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic96.8%(19,004)

Black0.8%(160)

Hispanic / Latino1.4%(266)

Asian0.2%(43)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.8%(16,756)

Black0.7%(116)

Hispanic / Latino0.5%(93)

Asian0.2%(37)

Other0.3%(44)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican2.7%(600)

Puerto Rican0.3%(66)

Spaniard0.2%(43)

South American0.1%(30)

Chilean0.1%(18)

Colombian0.1%(12)

Cuban0%(4)

Asian origin

Japanese0.2%(43)

Vietnamese0.1%(22)

Filipino0.1%(16)

Chinese0.1%(14)

Laotian0%(6)

Korean0%(3)

Burmese0%(1)

Ancestry

English19.3%(4,229)

Irish13.1%(2,859)

American12.6%(2,753)

German9%(1,966)

Scotch-Irish5.7%(1,251)

Scottish4.6%(996)

Italian2.9%(637)

French2%(435)

Polish1.4%(298)

Dutch1.3%(289)

Swedish0.9%(197)

Welsh0.9%(196)

+ 26 more ancestry groups with data

Norwegian0.6%(125)

Russian0.5%(119)

British0.5%(111)

French Canadian0.5%(101)

Portuguese0.4%(91)

Hungarian0.2%(53)

Swiss0.2%(34)

Greek0.1%(32)

Czech0.1%(30)

Arab0.1%(28)

Moroccan0.1%(28)

West Indian0.1%(27)

Jamaican0.1%(27)

Brazilian0.1%(23)

Danish0.1%(22)

Bulgarian0.1%(15)

Romanian0.1%(15)

Armenian0.1%(14)

Subsaharan African0.1%(14)

Israeli0.1%(13)

Turkish0.1%(12)

Lithuanian0%(10)

Canadian0%(9)

Slovak0%(6)

Belgian0%(2)

Ukrainian0%(2)

RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest German population · Largest Scotch-Irish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

11.3%

−4.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 16.1% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

56.4%

−12.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 69.3% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

4.3%

−2.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 6.5% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

27.6 min

+27%vs 2000

vs 21.7 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married33.5%(3,158)

Married51.7%(4,877)

Widowed3%(280)

Divorced11.8%(1,112)

Women 15+

Never married25.6%(2,435)

Married51.7%(4,912)

Widowed11.2%(1,059)

Divorced11.5%(1,090)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

8.4%

−5.4 ptssince 2013

from 13.8% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

46.2%

+1.3 ptssince 2020

from 44.9% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

20.7%

+1.0 ptssince 2020

from 19.7% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

24.8%

−0.9 ptssince 2020

from 25.7% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

19.4%

+0.6 ptssince 2020

from 18.8% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

3.2%

+0.1 ptssince 2020

from 3.1% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

66.2%

+2.8 ptssince 2020

from 63.4% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

42.6%

+2.4 ptssince 2020

from 40.2% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)15.8%(197)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)18.2%(227)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era41.2%(513)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War3.2%(40)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,245 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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