Madison County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Madison County has a population of 264,238 residents and a median age of 40.2 years, making it the #274 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.1%. The median home value is $173,000, and the median household income is $75,793, which is 1% above the national median.
Demographics
Madison County has a population of 264,238, making it the #274 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.2 years, which is 3.3% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Madison County is $75,793, ranking #789 out of 3,222 counties — 0.9% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.1% and unemployment stands at 4.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Madison County is $173,000 (-38.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,024/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Madison County, 31.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 8.0% below the national average, ranking #700 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Madison County is 75.4 years. 15.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.7% of adults in Madison County smoke , 35.8% are obese , and 21.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 40.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Madison County is 4.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
13.4% of children in Madison County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Madison County is 67.1%. The mean commute time is 27.1 min, which is 1.7% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Madison County voted Republican with a margin of 13.3%. The vote was 42.5% Dem / 55.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Madison County, Illinois
Madison County, Illinois has a total population of 264,238, making it the 274th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Madison County is 40.2 years, which is 3.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Madison County is $75,793, which ranks #789 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.9% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.6%.
The median home value in Madison County is $173,000, 38.6% below the national median. Renters in Madison County pay a median gross rent of $1,024 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Madison County, 31.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 8.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.1 min.
Madison County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 81.8% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (7.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
All data for Madison County, Illinois 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.