Madison County, Arkansas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Madison County is located in Arkansas with a total population of 17,329. It is the 40th most populous county out of 75 in Arkansas. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Madison County is 41.7 years. This is 8% higher than the state median of 38.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Madison County is $56,798. This is 7% lower than the state median of $60,773. It is also 30% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.1%. This is 12% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.0%. The unemployment rate is 5.3%. This is 7% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $178,100. Housing costs are 5% lower than the state median of $188,000. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 79.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 20% higher than the state average of 66.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Madison County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 68.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.5%. The Black or African American population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 14.6%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

12.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 50% lower than the state rate of 25.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Madison County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Arkansas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.