Census place 5548000

Madison

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Madison city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Madison.

According to the 2025 estimate, Madison has a population of 286,233 and 3,399 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 98 covered Wisconsin places are: population density is 3,399/sq mi, above the comparison median of 1,870/sq mi; median home value is $372,900, above the comparison median of $281,700; and median gross rent is $1,413, above the comparison median of $1,115. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

population density
3,399/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 1,870/sq mi
median home value
$372,900
Above the comparison median of $281,700
median gross rent
$1,413
Above the comparison median of $1,115

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Madison's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
286,233
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.7%
Population estimate
Density
3,399/sq mi
84.2 sq mi land area
Median age
31.8 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$78,050
Median home value
$372,900
Median gross rent
$1,413
Bachelor’s degree or higher
59.9%
Typical commute
19.4 min
Drive-alone commute
56.7%
Public transit commute
5.3%
Walked to work
7.6%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
54%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
50.3%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
68.3%
Unemployed residents 16+
1.9%
Working from home
20.5%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
91.3%
Homes built 2020+
1.9%
Households without a vehicle
12.2%
Households with children
19.6%
Residents with a disability
9.3%
Residents without insurance
4.2%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Dane County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
9
Severe Storm declarations
4
Snowstorm declarations
3
Flood declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: MADISON DANE CO RGNL AP (5 mi from place center)
Average high
56.5°F
Average low
37.6°F
Annual rainfall
37.1"
Annual snowfall
51.8"

Month by month

A year in Madison.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Spokane, WA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
230,783
Median home
$363,500

Worcester, MA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
213,862
Median home
$374,400

Sioux Falls, SD

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
213,748
Median home
$292,400

Keep exploring

Compare Madison with Spokane