City · South Dakota
Madison, South Dakota
Madison, city, in Lake County, South Dakota. Madison had 6,065 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 6,191 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 6,094 (±19). GEOID 4640220.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
6,065
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 6,191 · ACS 2020-2024: 6,094 ±19
Median household income
$65,593
±$9,132 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
$193,100
±$35,727 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
$981
±$114 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946
Where is Madison and what county is it in?
Madison is a city in Lake County, South Dakota. It covers 4.6 square miles of land, 1,341 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 Madison, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 6,065 people lived in Madison on July 1, 2025, down 2.1% since 2020, while South Dakota grew 5.5%. The 2020 Census counted 6,191 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 6,094 (±19).
| Measure | Madison | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 6,094 ±19 | 10,972 | −1,167 |
| Households | 2,573 ±141 | 4,716 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.17 ±0.12 | 2.21 | −0.55 |
| Housing units | 2,870 ±130 | 5,797 | +240 |
Madison's population since 2000
From 6,540 in 2000 to 6,065 in 2025: down 7.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Madison 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 Madison?
The median resident of Madison is 40.1 years old; 19.1% are under 18 and 22.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.3%.
| Measure | Madison | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.1 ±2.4 | 43.8 | +4.7 |
| Under 18 years | 19.1% ±2.2 pts | 19.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.7% ±2.8 pts | 24.3% | – |
| Male | 51.4% ±2.4 pts | 52.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.3% ±1.8 pts | 5.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.3% ±2.2 pts | 88.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±0.8 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±0.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.1% ±1.5 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.0% ±1.9 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.5% ±2.2 pts | 7.8% | – |
| With a disability | 17.1% ±3.5 pts | 15.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.6% ±1.4 pts | 4.0% | −4.2 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.8% ±3.5 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 34.3% ±5.8 pts | 34.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.9% ±3.8 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 78.3% ±5.0 pts | 85.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 6.8% ±3.9 pts | 4.5% | – |
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 Madison earn?
Half of Madison's 2,573 households earn less than $65,593 a year (±$9,132), against $76,808 in Lake County and $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $67,806 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Madison | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,593 ±$9,132 | $76,808 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $80,632 ±$9,241 | $104,754 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,282 ±$5,105 | $45,963 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.5% ±3.6 pts | 8.4% | −10.0 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.1% ±9.7 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.9% ±3.1 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.9% ±4.6 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.0% ±4.8 pts | 86.6% | – |
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 Madison?
Owners occupy 60.2% of Madison's occupied homes and renters 39.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $193,100 by its owner (±$35,727). The median renter pays $981 a month including utilities, and 40.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Madison | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $193,100 ±$35,727 | $247,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $981 ±$114 | $947 | +$287 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.5% ±12.3 pts | 37.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,278 ±$254 | $1,586 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60.2% ±6.0 pts | 73.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 39.8% ±6.0 pts | 26.2% | – |
| Housing units | 2,870 ±130 | 5,797 | +240 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.3% ±7.7 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 63.8% ±5.4 pts | 73.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.7% ±3.8 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.0% ±2.8 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 24.0% ±5.5 pts | 21.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.1% ±3.3 pts | 3.5% | – |
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 Madison building?
Builders took permits for 64 new housing units in Madison in 2025 (6 in single-family houses), 10.6 per 1,000 residents against 5.7 across South Dakota.
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 Madison work and get to work?
77.4% of Madison's workers drive alone and 8.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 11.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.4%.
| Measure | Madison | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.7% ±5.4 pts | 65.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% ±2.2 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 77.4% ±5.6 pts | 77.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.5% ±3.9 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.6% ±1.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Walked | 4.9% ±1.9 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.2% ±3.7 pts | 10.5% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 11.4 min ±1.6 | 14.9 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 Madison?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Madison (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $44,327 (Tract 9602.01) to $79,342 (Tract 9602.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9602.02Lake County | 3,941 | $79,342 |
| Tract 9602.01Lake County | 2,237 | $44,327 |
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 Madison) · Census block assignment files
How does Madison compare with other places in South Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Madison is the 4,389th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 17th-most populous of 310 in South Dakota.
Madison ranks 50th of 82 places in South Dakota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 17th | 310 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 50th | 73 |
| Residents per square mile | 23rd | 84 |
| Median household income | 50th | 82 |
| Per capita income | 55th | 83 |
| Median home value | 49th | 81 |
| Median gross rent | 19th | 72 |
| Poverty rate | 35th | 55 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25th | 81 |
| Median age | 36th | 83 |
| Owner-occupied share | 64th | 84 |
| Work from home | 20th | 44 |
| Travel time to work | 76th | 84 |
Madison's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Madison 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 Madison?
12 of the 57 figures for Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison.