Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety86#129/924
Economy98#21/925
Housing38#570/925
Health98#17/925
Healthcare98#19/923
Environment51#453/917
Education99#12/925
Infrastructure99#12/925
Community98#16/925
Leisure & amenities86#128/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Madison, WI metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Flu vaccinations · high63.4%
100/100Wisconsin 50.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Lack of reliable transportation · low5.8%
99/100Wisconsin 7.2%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Voter turnout · high83.7%
99/100Wisconsin 76.3%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Some college · high81.0%
99/100Wisconsin 70.3%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Poor or fair health · low13.7%
98/100Wisconsin 17.1%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · high96.0%
98/100Wisconsin 93.6%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high1.52%
8/100Wisconsin 1.32%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Days with unhealthy air · high1.9%
17/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Home price to income ratio · high4.2×
23/100Wisconsin 3.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Child care cost burden · high33.7%
27/100Wisconsin 30.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · high34.8%
35/100Wisconsin 34.5%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
47% (2021) → 19% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−27 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
27.1 /100k (2021) → 10.5 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−61%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
2.7 /100k (2021) → 1.6 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−40%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
1,829 /100k (2020) → 1,216 /100k (2025)
−34%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$62,057 (2019) → $81,766 (2024)
+32%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Violent crime rateImproving
204 /100k (2020) → 143 /100k (2025)
−30%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Madison, WI metro area improved on 14 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 8 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Overdose deaths−53%22.5 /100k → 10.5 /100k
Bachelor's++4 points46.1% → 50.1%
Suicides−7.7%14.6 /100k → 13.5 /100k
Violent crime−30%204 /100k → 143 /100k
Gyms+14%1.8 /10k → 2.1 /10k

Declined5

Transit use−1.8 points4.3% → 2.5%
Price / income+0.8×3.4× → 4.2×
Libraries−5.7%0.7 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Firearm deaths+15%8.0 /100k → 9.2 /100k
Pharmacies−13%2.3 /10k → 2.0 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Madison, WI metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.2 /10k2020	5.5 /10k2025	+5.3%	Improved	41%
Average commute time	21.9 min2015-2019	21.5 min2020-2024	−0.4 min	Within the margin of error	75%
Average weekly wage	$1,1732020	$1,4352025	+22%	Improved	40%
Bachelor's degree or higher	46.1%2015-2019	50.1%2020-2024	+4 points	Improved	79%
Broadband subscriptions	87.0%2015-2019	92.1%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Improved	9%
Child poverty rate	8.7%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Distance to an airport	13 mi2020	13 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	94%
Drug overdose deaths	22.5 /100k2020	10.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−53%	Improved	85%
Effective property tax rate	1.81%2015-2019	1.53%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	88%
Firearm deaths	8.0 /100k2020	9.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+15%	Declined	29%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+3.3%	Little change	63%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.8 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+14%	Improved	63%
High school diploma or higher	95.3%2015-2019	96.0%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Home price to income ratio	3.4×2015-2019	4.2×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	22%
Homicide rate	2.1 /100k2020	1.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	44%
Income adjusted for local prices	$62,0572019	$81,7662024	+32%	Improved	51%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4392015-2019	0.4472020-2024	+0.008	Within the margin of error	33%
Median household income	$72,3742015-2019	$88,8042020-2024	+23%	Improved	26%
New business applications	10.0 /1k2020	12.4 /1k2025	+25%	Improved	20%
Pharmacies	2.3 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	37%
Poverty rate	10.3%2015-2019	10.1%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Property crime rate	1,829 /100k2020	1,216 /100k2025	−34%	Improved	49%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−5.7%	Declined	22%
Public transit commuters	4.3%2015-2019	2.5%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Declined	7%
Rent as share of income	27.9%2015-2019	28.6%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Rent-burdened households	44.9%2015-2019	46.6%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Restaurants and bars	11.5 /10k2020	11.5 /10k2025	+0.1%	Little change	46%
Suicide rate	14.6 /100k2020	13.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−7.7%	Improved	75%
Traffic deaths	8.2 /100k2015-2019	8.3 /100k2020-2024	+1.2%	Little change	60%
Unemployment rate	5.1%2020	2.6%2025	−2.5 points	Improved	34%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.5%2015-2019	4.3%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Violent crime rate	204 /100k2020	143 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	74%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Madison, WI metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Madison, WI metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Madison, WI metro area itself moved +0.6 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

691,830 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

301,580 households (±1,097)

Madison, WI metro area
United States share

Under $25k11%34,420
$25k–50k15%46,489
$50k–75k16%48,136

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

301,580 households (±1,097)

Madison, WI metro area
United States share

Own60%181,998
Rent40%119,582

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−0.8 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

381,917 workers (±2,914)

Madison, WI metro area
United States share

Drive alone66%251,789
Carpool5.8%22,080
Public transit2.5%9,366

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Madison, WI employ 78,200 people. 8 pay a median above the US median and 2 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Madison, WI by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Registered Nurses10,650 jobs	10,650	$101,190US $97,550	+4%	1.2×
Fast Food and Counter Workers9,180 jobs	9,180	$29,820US $31,200	−4%	0.91×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides8,360 jobs	8,360	$37,220US $35,800	+4%	0.74×
Retail Salespersons8,330 jobs	8,330	$35,830US $35,410	+1%	0.81×
Cashiers7,960 jobs	7,960	$34,550US $32,880	+5%	0.98×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand7,130 jobs	7,130	$44,190US $40,240	+10%	0.92×
Customer Service Representatives7,120 jobs	7,120	$47,500US $44,770	+6%	1.05×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners6,780 jobs	6,780	$39,680US $36,840	+8%	1.17×
Software Developers6,720 jobs	6,720	$130,630US $135,980	−4%	1.52×
Office Clerks, General5,970 jobs	5,970	$46,590US $45,010	+4%	0.92×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Madison, WI.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Madison, WI has 17,791 employer establishments, 255 for every 10,000 residents (1.03× the US rate of 248), with 358,759 paid employees at an average annual pay of $68,727. The Census Bureau also counts 53,468 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 17,791; 53,468 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 255; US 248
Paid employees: 358,759
Average annual pay: $68,727; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Madison, WI by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	1,302	18.6	1.02×About typical	24,634	$22,378	175
Specialty trade contractors	1,097	15.7	1.02×About typical	12,081	$76,767	2,828
Ambulatory health care services	1,063	15.2	0.73×Fewer than typical	21,860	$93,019	2,375
Lessors of real estate	835	12	0.97×About typical	4,115	$54,955	6,000
Full-service restaurants	601	8.6	1.12×About typical	12,187	$24,254	65
Services to buildings and dwellings	563	8.1	1.20×About typical	5,785	$37,918	2,105
Limited-service restaurants	510	7.3	0.91×About typical	10,107	$20,931	71
Construction of buildings	507	7.3	0.96×About typical	4,775	$82,423	1,368
Offices of other health practitioners	486	7	1.15×About typical	3,270	$46,213	1,267
Management, scientific and technical consulting	483	6.9	1.03×About typical	4,210	$86,694	3,106
Computer systems design and related services	423	6.1	1.40×More than typical	7,986	$124,826	856
Building equipment contractors	389	5.6	0.93×About typical	6,202	$80,050	407

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 698,155 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $296M on contracts performed in Madison, WI metro area: $417 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $296M; −25% vs FY2025
Per resident: $417; US $1,994
Sole-source: 11%; US 30%
Single offer: 4.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$60.5M20%
Defense Health Agency$51.8M17%
Agricultural Marketing Service$44.4M15%
Department of Veterans Affairs$35.7M12%
Federal Acquisition Service$17.6M5.9%
Defense Logistics Agency$14.7M5.0%
Departmental Offices$10.6M3.6%
Department of the Army$10.4M3.5%

Top recipients

WISCONSIN PHYSICIANS SERVICE INSURANCE CORP.$156.8M53%
FLEXION INC$30M10%
ASSOCIATED MILK PRODUCERS INC$26.1M8.8%
DIDION, INC.$17.4M5.9%
STATZ CORP$11M3.7%

Spending by fiscal year

560.2MFY2017
608.5MFY2018
484.8MFY2019
634.1MFY2020
661.6MFY2021
737.8MFY2022
434.6MFY2023
407.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Insurance carriers · 5241$106M36%
Insurance agencies, brokerages, and related activities · 5242$51M17%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$34.8M12%
Dairy product manufacturing · 3115$26.1M8.8%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$18.6M6.3%
Grain and oilseed milling · 3112

Largest awards

MEDICARE ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTOR JURISDICTION 5$429.1M
WISCONSIN PHYSICIANS SERVICE INSURANCE CORP.· Dane County, WI· Education & social services· Sep 20, 2019 – Aug 31, 2026· 75FCMC19C0043
J8 A/B MAC$339.4M
WISCONSIN PHYSICIANS SERVICE INSURANCE CORP.· Dane County, WI· Education & social services· Nov 8, 2018 – May 29, 2026· 75FCMC19C0002
TRICARE MEDICARE ELIGIBLE PROGRAM (TMEP) SERVICES$226.1M
WISCONSIN PHYSICIANS SERVICE INSURANCE CORP.· Dane County, WI· Health & medical· Apr 30, 2021 – Jun 10, 2026· HT940221C0005
THE CONTRACTOR SHALL FURNISH THE NECESSARY PERSONNEL, MATERIALS, SERVICES, EQUIPMENT, AND FACILITIES (EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED HEREIN), AND OTHERWISE DO ALL THE THINGS NECESSARY FOR OR INCIDENT TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE WORK AS SET FORTH IN THE

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $51.5B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Madison, WI metro area: $72,623 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $51.5B; −4.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $72,623; US $12,955
Loan face value: $3.3B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$24.3B47%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$22.3B43%
96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$2.8B5.4%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$312.8M0.6%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$223M0.4%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$214M0.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$158.5M0.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$112.7M0.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM$732M1.4%
MADISON, WI
HERZING UNIVERSITY, LTD$52.9M0.1%
MILWAUKEE, WI
WISCONSIN HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY$35.8M0.1%
MADISON, WI
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$33.4M0.1%
MADISON, WI
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MADISON

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$46.9B91%
Department of Health and Human Services
Social Security Administration$3.2B6.2%
National Institutes of Health$469M0.9%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$248M0.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

45.7BFY2021
41.5BFY2022
49.6BFY2023
52.1BFY2024
53.9BFY2025
51.5BFY2026

County aggregates

98%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Madison, WI

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MadisonPrincipal city278,001

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Wisconsin

Areas based in Wisconsin, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M31540

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Madison, WI metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Madison, WI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Wisconsin

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought