Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Madison has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Madison beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 315 in 1880, a peak of 688 in 1910, 515 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1890 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Madison, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Madison.
In Madison, the average commute is 31 minutes, above both Missouri’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Most people who work leave Madison to do it: just 5% work in town. Among residents in the town, 21% live below the poverty line. Half commute less than 35 miles.
| Madison | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 13% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Public schools: the Madison C-3 school district. Its two schools are below. The 2 public schools in Madison teach 177 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 96 | C |
| Madison HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 81 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 19° and about 15 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Home values are up 1.8% over the year to September 2026. In Madison, the typical rent is $713 a month, where Missouri’s towns sit at $971 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. The share of households in Madison who own their home: 70%.
| Madison | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $713 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Just over one in ten adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Madison. Only 9 of the 248 Missouri towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Madison. Two figures for adults in the town: 23% smoke cigarettes, 38% get no exercise outside work.
| Madison | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Madison | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 30.6% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.6% | 8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 20.2% | 13.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Households in Madison have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2011. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts just over a third of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 25% to heat waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Madison
About 1 of every 100 Madison residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
Where Madison’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Monroe County, Missouri, United States
Madison is a city in Monroe County, Missouri, United States. The population was 515 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Madison has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.