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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Madison Metro

Madison, WI · 4 counties · 462,662 residents · 3,309 sq mi
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The short version

Madison is home to 462,662 people. About 30% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 59% of homes are owner-occupied. The population has fallen 14% since 2000. The typical home is worth $72,753. The poverty rate is 10.0%, under the national 13.2%.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 31.5
US median: 33.0
More educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 31%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
462,662
−14%vs 2000
vs 535,421 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
140 / sq mi
−14%vs 2000
vs 162 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
31.5
−8%vs 2000
vs 34.1 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
3,309 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
440K508K577K646K715K19902000201020202024Madison
2024692K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57%(32,561)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.9%(32,016)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.2%(28,791)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.2%(33,307)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2410.4%(47,922)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3419%(87,948)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4416.2%(74,903)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.5%(43,776)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.2%(33,095)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 745.8%(26,833)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.5%(15,987)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.2%(5,523)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$31,704
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $48,153 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$14,882
−38%vs 2000
vs $24,099 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
10.0%
+1.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 8.7% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$72,753
−31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $139,112 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$440
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $611 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
58.6%
−2.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 61.1% in 2000
41.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic89.3%(478,359)
Black3.2%(17,380)
Hispanic / Latino2.9%(15,616)
Asian2.8%(14,999)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic95%(439,463)
Black2.3%(10,706)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(5,791)
Asian1.9%(8,756)
Other0.8%(3,737)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.3%(29,418)
South American0.9%(6,292)
Puerto Rican0.6%(4,268)
Central American0.5%(3,561)
Colombian0.4%(2,446)
Spaniard0.2%(1,626)
Nicaraguan0.2%(1,412)
Cuban0.2%(1,272)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,216)
Ecuadorian0.1%(792)
Guatemalan0.1%(623)
Honduran0.1%(599)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Uruguayan0.1%(547)
Argentine0.1%(533)
Dominican0.1%(376)
Salvadoran0.1%(371)
Peruvian0.1%(366)
Chilean0.1%(329)
Panamanian0%(268)
Bolivian0%(44)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.5%(10,145)
Chinese1.5%(9,983)
Hmong0.7%(4,540)
Korean0.3%(2,058)
Filipino0.2%(1,693)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,169)
Laotian0.2%(1,016)
Japanese0.1%(702)
Taiwanese0.1%(608)
Pakistani0.1%(579)
Cambodian0.1%(494)
Thai0.1%(473)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Bangladeshi0.1%(359)
Indonesian0%(184)
Nepalese0%(184)
Malaysian0%(124)
Kazakh0%(95)
Burmese0%(79)
Bhutanese0%(42)
Mongolian0%(35)
Okinawan0%(20)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(240)
Chamorro0%(122)
Ancestry
German33.5%(231,882)
Irish12.9%(89,558)
English10.1%(69,786)
Norwegian8.7%(60,263)
Polish4.8%(33,514)
Italian3.6%(24,876)
American2.6%(17,792)
Swiss2.2%(15,465)
French2.2%(15,161)
Swedish2%(13,701)
Scottish1.7%(11,990)
Dutch1.7%(11,644)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Czech1.1%(7,374)
Danish0.7%(4,823)
Welsh0.7%(4,676)
Russian0.7%(4,503)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(3,338)
British0.5%(3,150)
French Canadian0.4%(3,101)
Finnish0.3%(2,392)
Arab0.4%(2,360)
Hungarian0.3%(2,334)
Lithuanian0.3%(2,029)
Greek0.3%(1,954)
Austrian0.3%(1,849)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,825)
Belgian0.3%(1,818)
Brazilian0.2%(1,186)
Croatian0.2%(1,100)
Slovak0.2%(1,061)
Somali0.2%(1,039)
West Indian0.1%(1,004)
Portuguese0.1%(945)
Romanian0.1%(907)
Canadian0.1%(819)
Iranian0.1%(710)
Lebanese0.1%(589)
Turkish0.1%(571)
Egyptian0.1%(555)
Nigerian0.1%(514)
Jamaican0.1%(512)
Slovene0.1%(462)
Serbian0.1%(440)
Armenian0%(317)
Kenyan0.1%(310)
Latvian0%(305)
Ethiopian0%(221)
Haitian0%(218)
Bulgarian0%(207)
Israeli0%(170)
Australian0%(169)
Jordanian0%(83)
Ghanaian0%(80)
Guyanese0%(73)
Syrian0%(72)
Iraqi0%(59)
Moroccan0%(37)
Barbadian0%(26)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.7%
−6.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 35.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
86.7%
−4.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 90.9% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
11.4%
−2.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.7% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.4 min
+55%vs 2000
vs 13.2 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 married40.8%(117,982)
Married49.4%(142,737)
Widowed2%(5,681)
Divorced7.8%(22,461)
Women 15+
Never married35.2%(102,190)
Married47.9%(138,877)
Widowed6.2%(17,852)
Divorced10.7%(31,003)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
3.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2013
from 7.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
70.1%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 71.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
12.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 11.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
82.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 83.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.0%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 25.3% 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)21.7%(5,731)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.4%(4,858)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.2%(9,303)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(1,467)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.6%(417)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 26,413 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
In this metro

Largest cities

MadisonCENTRAL286,233Sun Prairie39,227Fitchburg34,615Middleton23,115Verona16,821Waunakee16,411Stoughton13,256DeForest13,094Oregon12,015Monroe10,581Windsor10,085Portage9,956McFarland9,145Cottage Grove8,930Monona8,664Mount Horeb7,725Edgerton6,121Columbus5,400Lake Wisconsin5,384Dodgeville5,076Cross Plains4,182Marshall3,696Brodhead3,214Lodi3,190Poynette2,924Belleville2,705Deerfield2,619Mineral Point2,555New Glarus2,266Pardeeville2,248

The 30 most populous of 63 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

4 component counties

Dane CountyCENTRAL590,375Columbia County58,132Green County37,227Iowa County23,951
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Madison

Des Moines
Pop 758,539
Colorado Springs
Pop 781,796
Kiryas Joel
Pop 718,377
New Haven
Pop 578,741
Places similar to Madison
Head to head

Compare Madison side by side

MADISON VS
Des Moines
Income$86,618+173%
Home value$270,939+272%
Population758,539+7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADISON VS
Colorado Springs
Income$90,201+185%
Home value$461,611+534%
Population781,796+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADISON VS
Kiryas Joel
Income$98,151+210%
Home value$393,273+441%
Population718,377+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADISON VS
New Haven
Income$88,197+178%
Home value$353,100+385%
Population578,741−18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Madison, WI?

Madison, WI has about 462,662 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Madison, WI?

The typical household in Madison, WI earns about $31,704 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Madison, WI expensive?

In Madison, WI, the median home is worth about $72,753, and the typical rent is about $440 a month.

How educated are people in Madison, WI?

About 29.7% of adults age 25 and over in Madison, WI hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Madison, WI?

About 10.0% of people in Madison, WI live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Madison, WI (1990): population, income & housing data · CensusEasy