City · Minnesota
Madelia, Minnesota
Madelia, city, in Watonwan County, Minnesota. Madelia had 2,488 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,396 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,327 (±238). GEOID 2739230.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,488
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,396 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,327 ±238
Median household income
$76,548
±$8,978 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$165,400
±$12,415 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$833
±$131 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Madelia and what county is it in?
Madelia is a city in Watonwan County, Minnesota. It covers 1.5 square miles of land, 1,585 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Madelia, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,488 people lived in Madelia on July 1, 2025, up 3.5% since 2020, faster than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 2,396 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,327 (±238).
| Measure | Madelia | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,327 ±238 | 11,205 | −301 |
| Households | 808 ±96 | 4,227 | −144 |
| Average household size | 2.78 ±0.24 | 2.61 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 917 ±93 | 4,881 | −217 |
Madelia's population since 2000
From 2,340 in 2000 to 2,488 in 2025: up 6.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Madelia as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Madelia?
The median resident of Madelia is 34.1 years old; 30.6% are under 18 and 18.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 65.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 33.1%. 13.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Madelia | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.1 ±3.4 | 40.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 30.6% ±3.9 pts | 26.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.6% ±3.4 pts | 20.2% | – |
| Male | 50.8% ±3.6 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 33.1% ±7.5 pts | 30.4% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 65.5% ±7.1 pts | 67.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 13.6% ±5.3 pts | 13.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 26.1% ±7.2 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.3% ±2.7 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 13.5% ±3.4 pts | 11.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.9% ±2.8 pts | 10.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.9% ±5.9 pts | 86.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.0% ±5.5 pts | 17.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.3% ±4.1 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.7% ±3.5 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±1.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Madelia earn?
Half of Madelia's 808 households earn less than $76,548 a year (±$8,978), against $71,699 in Watonwan County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 the median was $53,781 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $22,767 after inflation. 13.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Madelia | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,548 ±$8,978 | $71,699 | +$22,767 |
| Mean household income | $89,862 ±$9,260 | $93,447 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,797 ±$3,496 | $35,869 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.7% ±5.6 pts | 13.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 17.3% ±9.6 pts | 21.7% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.5% ±5.0 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.8% ±4.2 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.0% ±5.3 pts | 83.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Madelia?
Owners occupy 78.8% of Madelia's occupied homes and renters 21.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $165,400 by its owner (±$12,415). The median renter pays $833 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Madelia | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $165,400 ±$12,415 | $162,400 | +$42,577 |
| Median gross rent | $833 ±$131 | $834 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 23.2% ±15.7 pts | 21.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,305 ±$128 | $1,453 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.8% ±6.4 pts | 77.8% | +15.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.2% ±6.4 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Housing units | 917 ±93 | 4,881 | −217 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.9% ±14.8 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 75.2% ±6.3 pts | 82.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.3% ±3.8 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 33.9% ±7.4 pts | 30.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.9% ±4.7 pts | 7.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Madelia building?
Builders took permits for 8 new housing units in Madelia in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 3.2 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Madelia work and get to work?
73.1% of Madelia's workers drive alone and 6.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.8 minutes.
| Measure | Madelia | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.4% ±5.3 pts | 63.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% ±2.5 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 73.1% ±7.7 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.1% ±4.5 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Walked | 9.1% ±4.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.7% ±4.3 pts | 8.1% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.8 min ±8.9 | 23.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Madelia?
No census tract lies mostly in Madelia; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9501Watonwan County | 3,443 | $81,685 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Madelia) · Census block assignment files
How does Madelia compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Madelia is the 6,920th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 238th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Madelia ranks 370th of 558 places in Minnesota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 238th | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 166th | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 105th | 562 |
| Median household income | 370th | 558 |
| Per capita income | 488th | 562 |
| Median home value | 487th | 559 |
| Median gross rent | 371st | 465 |
| Poverty rate | 87th | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 513th | 559 |
| Median age | 504th | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 335th | 561 |
| Work from home | 446th | 525 |
| Travel time to work | 168th | 562 |
Madelia's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Madelia with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Madelia?
14 of the 57 figures for Madelia on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Madelia are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Madelia.