James H. Bibb House · National Register of Historic Places
Madison’s story
208 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1818Madison is settled
MadisonAL
A city of 60,106, settled in 1818. Public schools that outperform most of Alabama.
Photo: Republic of Selmaria · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
60,106
+32.6% since 2010
Typical home
$376K
+0.9% in a year
Household income
$135K
median
Median age
37.3
years
Jobs based here
20,316
Balanced
What makes Madison stand out
The 3 things Madison does most differently from other towns.
A+School Grade
Schools
#5 for schools in AL
of 180 towns
School Grade A+.
$376Ktypical home
Housing
$376K typical home
56% above the AL typical home
Up 0.9% in a year.
Outdoors
#21 most walkable in AL
11 miles of trails across 36 parks and preserves
1.9% of the town is conserved land.
A growing town
Madison has grown 32.6% since 2010
42,938 people in 2010; 60,106 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Madison’s report card
SchoolsA+Beats 96% of AL districtsCommute7 miHalf of commuters travel lessHousing$376K56% above the AL typical homeOutdoors11 mi#41 for trails in ALHealthAHealthier than 90% of U.S. townsClimate90°/31°Summer high · winter low · 1″ snowHazards56/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damageSafetyBLess crime than 55% of U.S. towns
Now in Madison
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Madison is #1 of 56 in AL for “Least snow”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Madison’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →70°
Clear
H 90° · L 68°
Local news
All →- Brewer vs West Morgan - Girls Varsity Volleyball 09/29/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 29
- James Clemens vs Bob Jones - Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball 09/28/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 28
- Bob Jones vs Buckhorn - Boys Varsity Basketball 01/05/2027 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 28
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Madison. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Madison’s public schools outperform 96% of Alabama districts
The public schools Madison’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 96% of Alabama’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| MidTown Elementary School | K–5 | 1,097 | A+ |
| Mill Creek Elementary School | PK–5 | 965 | A+ |
| Heritage Elementary School | K–5 | 869 | A+ |
| Rainbow Elementary School | K–5 | 725 | A+ |
| Columbia Elementary School | K–5 | 701 | A+ |
| Madison Elementary School | K–5 | 603 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduationAll 13 schools →
Work & commute
About one in eight working residents works right in Madison
Most working residents leave Madison for work: only 13% work in town. The top destinations are Huntsville (56%), Decatur (4%) and Redstone Arsenal (2%). Half commute less than 7 miles.
13%work in town
Where working residents work
In Madison13%
Huntsville56%
Decatur4%
Redstone Arsenal2%
Athens2%
7 mi
median commute distance
20,316
jobs based in Madison
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Madison home is worth about $376K
The typical Madison home is worth about $376,000, up 0.9% in a year, 56% above the Alabama typical home.
$376KZillow home value
Typical home value
Madison$376K
Alabama$242K
Market temperature
52
days on market
98.5%
sale-to-list price
+0.9%
value change, 1 year
99
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
1.9% of Madison is conserved land
11 miles of trails across 36 parks and preserves.
#41for trails in AL
1.9%
conserved · 369 of 19,561 acres
11 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
#54
most conserved land in AL
#21
most walkable in AL
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rainbow Mountain Nature Preserve | 3.8 mi | 159 |
| 2. Heritage Park | 1 mi | 25 |
| 3. Bob Jones Walking Trail | 0.8 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Madison beats the Alabama average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
AHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Alabama
22 better9 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Madison | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 19.2% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.9% | 78% |
Crestwood Medical Center
10.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
97th
percentile among AL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Madison has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–53°
Spring49–72°
Summer67–89°
Fall50–74°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Mar 31
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
16
paid flood claims since 1983
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 55% of U.S. towns
Madison reports less crime per resident than 55% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
BSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Madison1.5
Alabama3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Madison9.5
Alabama15
U.S.15.5
55th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
80th
percentile among AL towns
100
violent crimes reported in 2025
628
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Landmarks
2 places in Madison on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Madison
City in Alabama, United States
Madison is a city located primarily in Madison County, near the northern border of the U.S. state of Alabama. Madison extends west into neighboring Limestone County. The city is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area, the second-largest in the state, and is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The population was 56,933 at the 2020 census. Madison is an enclave of Huntsville, which surrounds it on all sides, though there are some small unincorporated lands within Madison in Madison and Limestone counties and along the border with Huntsville. Madison was mostly a small city for many years, with its population being around 400-500 for much of its hist…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1818
- Population
- 56,933
- Area
- 30 sq mi
- Elevation
- 705 ft
- ZIP code
- 35756, 35757, 35758
- Area code
- 256
More about Madison
Still missing for Madison:archive photosupcoming events