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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Madison County

North Carolina · 20,764 residents · 450 sq mi
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The short version

Madison County is a county of 20,764 people in North Carolina. At a median age of 43.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Owners hold 77% of the housing stock. 2% of locals were born outside the United States. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $154,600.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 43.3
US median: 37.2
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 45%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
20,764
+6%since 2000
from 19,635 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
43.3
+10%since 2000
from 39.3 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
450 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
16K18K19K21K22K19902000201020202024Madison County
202422K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 54.5%(939)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 95.9%(1,220)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 145.9%(1,235)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.9%(1,435)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.2%(1,295)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3410%(2,079)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.7%(2,647)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5414.8%(3,066)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6415.3%(3,182)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 7410%(2,070)
US avg: 7%
75 to 845.5%(1,138)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.2%(458)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$38,580
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,985 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$18,792
+17%since 2000
from $16,076 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
18.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 19.2% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
16.9%
+1.5 ptssince 2000
from 15.4% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.424
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade13.4%
US avg: 10.9%
Information12.7%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade9%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services3.9%
US avg: 7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.9%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Public administration1.6%
US avg: 4.9%
Construction1.2%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing1%
US avg: 0.5%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
US avg: 2.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$154,600
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $84,100 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$580
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $367 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
76.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 76.6% in 2000
23.3% rent
Vacancy rate
24.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.38 people
+5%since 2009
from 2.27 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
19.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 18.2% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
34.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 35.5% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
4.0
−1%since 2009
from 4.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic96.8%(19,004)
Black0.8%(160)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(266)
Asian0.2%(43)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic95%(19,734)
Black1.1%(233)
Hispanic / Latino2%(423)
Asian0.3%(70)
Other1%(214)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.7%(152)
Salvadoran0.6%(115)
Puerto Rican0.1%(22)
Chilean0.1%(21)
Guatemalan0.1%(13)
Colombian0.1%(13)
Spaniard0.1%(11)
Ancestry
Irish14.3%(2,945)
German13.3%(2,729)
English12.1%(2,485)
American11.6%(2,385)
Scotch-Irish6.5%(1,337)
Italian3.3%(675)
Scottish3%(619)
Dutch2.1%(432)
French1.6%(323)
Polish0.8%(172)
Iranian0.7%(140)
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.6%(130)
Welsh0.6%(117)
Hungarian0.5%(108)
Greek0.5%(103)
British0.5%(93)
Finnish0.3%(53)
Czech0.2%(48)
Russian0.2%(38)
Danish0.2%(34)
Norwegian0.1%(22)
Serbian0.1%(22)
Portuguese0.1%(18)
Ukrainian0.1%(18)
Canadian0.1%(15)
Turkish0.1%(14)
Austrian0.1%(13)
West Indian0.1%(13)
Arab0.1%(11)
Swiss0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.2%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 16.1% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
77.3%
+8.0 ptssince 2000
from 69.3% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
5.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2000
from 6.5% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.5 min
+45%since 2000
from 21.7 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
77.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 76.8% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
13.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
6.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
3.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
6.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
15.7%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 18.4% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
27.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 27.7% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
50.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
1.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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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Head to head

Compare Madison County to nearby counties

MADISON COUNTY VS
Buncombe County
Income$74,436+93%
Home value$391,800+153%
Population277,417+1130%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADISON COUNTY VS
Yancey County
Income$58,709+52%
Home value$243,100+57%
Population19,084−15%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADISON COUNTY VS
Cocke County
Income$48,016+24%
Home value$158,100+2%
Population37,889+68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADISON COUNTY VS
Greene County
Income$56,194+46%
Home value$207,500+34%
Population73,831+227%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Madison County, North Carolina?

Madison County, North Carolina has about 20,764 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Madison County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Madison County, North Carolina earns about $38,580 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Madison County, North Carolina expensive?

In Madison County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $154,600, and the typical rent is about $580 a month.

How educated are people in Madison County, North Carolina?

About 19.2% of adults age 25 and over in Madison County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Madison County, North Carolina?

About 16.9% of people in Madison County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Madison County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Madison County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,811 residents, a change of about 22 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 →