Madera County, California

CA · FIPS 06039 Republican

Located in California, Madera County has a population of 160,940 residents and a median age of 34.6 years, making it the #429 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.2%. The median home value is $393,200, and the median household income is $76,627, which is 2% above the national median.

160,940
Population
#429 of 3,222
$76,627
Median Income
+2.0% #741 of 3,222
34.6 years
Median Age
-11.1% #2,992 of 3,222
19.2%
Poverty Rate
+52.4% #2,596 of 3,222

Demographics

Madera County has a population of 160,940, making it the #429 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.6 years, which is 11.1% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

79.9%
Native Born
20.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Madera County is $76,627, ranking #741 out of 3,222 counties — 2.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 19.2% and unemployment stands at 10.1%.

Income#741
$76,627
+2.0%
vs nation
77th percentile
Per Capita#2,415
$30,077
-27.1%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poverty#2,596
19.2%
+52.4%
vs nation
19th percentile
Unemployment#3,102
10.1%
+90.5%
vs nation
4th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Madera County is $393,200 (+39.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,390/mo and the homeownership rate is 67.5%.

Home Value#305
$393,200
+39.5%
vs nation
91th percentile
Rent#326
$1,390
+19.5%
vs nation
90th percentile
Homeownership#2,535
67.5%
+4.8%
vs nation
21th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Madera County, 17.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 46.9% below the national average, ranking #2,363 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
17.9% −46.9% vs nation
Rank #2,363 of 3,222
27th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Madera County is 76.5 years. 24.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,080
76.5
+1.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,705
24.9%
+27.3%
vs nation
14th percentile
Diabetes#2,399
12.7%
+14.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,548
37.6%
+0.8%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,665
6.2
+10.6%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,973
5.6
+25.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,605
9.6%
-8.5%
vs nation
49th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,120
28.6%
+8.4%
vs nation
33th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,085
15.8%
+9.7%
vs nation
34th percentile

Substance Use

15.2% of adults in Madera County smoke , 35.2% are obese , and 20.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#694
15.2%
-15.4%
vs nation
78th percentile
Adult Obesity#764
35.2%
-7.1%
vs nation
76th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,605
20.1%
+1.0%
vs nation
49th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#449
18.2
-43.7%
vs nation
79th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Madera County is 7.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#919
7.2
-10.5%
vs nation
40th percentile
Suicide Rate#235
11.5
-41.5%
vs nation
91th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#435
10.5
-41.4%
vs nation
82th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,651
20.6
+1.5%
vs nation
42th percentile

Families & Children

24.2% of children in Madera County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 21.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#407
5.5
-19.8%
vs nation
70th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,603
21.3
-2.4%
vs nation
47th percentile
Child Poverty#2,431
24.2%
+27.4%
vs nation
23th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Madera County is 57.6%. The mean commute time is 30.0 min, which is 8.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
57.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.0 min +8.8% vs nation
Rank #883 of 3,222
73th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Madera County voted Republican with a margin of 20.8%. The vote was 38.4% Dem / 59.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 9.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +20.8%
38.4% 59.2%
Dem 54,624 votes Rep
2020 REP +11.6%
43.1% 54.7%
Dem 53,722 votes Rep
2016 REP +17.3%
38.8% 56.1%
Dem 34,263 votes Rep
2012 REP +19.5%
39.2% 58.7%
Dem 32,372 votes Rep
2008 REP +13.3%
42.4% 55.7%
Dem 42,355 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Madera County, California

Madera County, California has a total population of 160,940, making it the 429th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Madera County is 34.6 years, which is 11.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Madera County is $76,627, which ranks #741 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 10.1%.

The median home value in Madera County is $393,200, 39.5% above the national median. Renters in Madera County pay a median gross rent of $1,390 per month. The homeownership rate is 67.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Madera County, 17.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.0 min.

Madera County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 60.9% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (29.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).

All data for Madera County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.