Census tract · Dane County

Census Tract 21, Dane County, Wisconsin

Census Tract 21, GEOID 55025002100, in Dane County, Wisconsin, mostly within Madison (98% of its census blocks). 5,325 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±983); the 2020 Census counted 4,761.

Residents, 2020-2024

5,325

±983 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,761

Median household income

$62,284

±$8,264 (90% margin)
Dane County: $89,975

Median home value

$270,200

±$20,949 (90% margin)
Dane County: $394,800

Median gross rent

$1,023

±$136 (90% margin)
Dane County: $1,398

Where is Census Tract 21?

Census Tract 21 is one of 125 census tracts in Dane County, Wisconsin. It covers 1.21 square miles of land, 3,948 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 55025002100, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).

Places Census Tract 21 lies in (share of its 2020 census blocks)
PlaceShare of the tract
Madison98%
Maple Bluff2%
Census Tract 21 (marked with a dot) in Dane County, Wisconsin. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.
18.0419.02202225102 21 1 mi
Census Tract 21 (shaded) and the tracts that border it, numbered. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024 cartographic boundary file, 1:500,000.

6 census tracts border Census Tract 21: Tract 18.04 ($60,395), Tract 19.02 ($92,244), Tract 20 ($81,815), Tract 22 ($60,029), Tract 25 ($57,639) and Tract 102 ($202,813). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.

Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Census Tract 21?

The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 21's population at 5,325 (±983) in 2,587 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,761 residents and 2,588 housing units.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 21MadisonDane CountyWisconsin
Total population 5,325 ±983 278,001 572,674 5,914,872
Households 2,587 ±281 128,261 251,529 2,479,480
Average household size 2.05 ±0.24 2.06 2.21 2.33
Housing units 2,701 ±258 133,530 261,061 2,778,572

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Census Tract 21?

The median resident of Census Tract 21 is 33.4 years old; 18.1% are under 18 and 8.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 65.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 13.6%. 6.5% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin, education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Tract 21MadisonDane CountyWisconsin
Median age 33.4 ±1.2 31.8 35.7 40.2
Under 18 years 18.1% ±5.9 pts 16.1% 19.7% 21.4%
65 years and over 8.0% ±2.3 pts 13.0% 15.1% 18.5%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 11.7% ±8.6 pts 9.4% 7.8% 8.0%
White alone, not Hispanic 65.6% ±8.9 pts 69.6% 75.8% 78.6%
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 5.4% ±3.4 pts 7.2% 5.1% 5.9%
Asian alone, not Hispanic 3.2% ±2.3 pts 8.0% 6.1% 2.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.3 pts 0.2% 0.1% 0.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.4 pts 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Two or more races, not Hispanic 13.6% ±9.2 pts 5.2% 4.6% 3.7%
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.4% ±0.6 pts 0.5% 0.4% 0.3%
Born outside the United States 6.5% ±3.3 pts 11.6% 9.0% 5.2%
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 12.5% ±8.7 pts 14.7% 11.5% 9.0%
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 3.2% ±2.5 pts 3.4% 4.3% 6.2%
With a disability 10.9% ±6.1 pts 9.3% 9.2% 12.3%
No health insurance coverage 5.3% ±3.9 pts 4.2% 3.6% 5.2%
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 95.3% ±3.3 pts 95.8% 96.4% 93.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 48.2% ±7.3 pts 59.9% 55.3% 33.4%
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 21.4% ±5.1 pts 25.7% 22.2% 11.4%
Lived in the same house a year earlier 83.5% ±8.0 pts 74.5% 81.4% 88.2%

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 Census Tract 21 earn?

Half of the 2,587 households in Census Tract 21 earn less than $62,284 a year (±$8,264), against $89,975 across Dane County: 102nd highest of the county's 122 tracts with a reliable estimate. 15.9% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 21MadisonDane CountyWisconsin
Median household income $62,284 ±$8,264 $78,050 $89,975 $77,485
Mean household income $78,332 ±$11,136 $105,566 $119,709 $101,466
Per capita income $39,896 ±$5,495 $49,425 $53,181 $43,373
People below the poverty line 15.9% ±6.3 pts 16.4% 10.6% 10.6%
Children under 18 below the poverty line 13.7% ±11.7 pts 13.9% 8.7% 12.8%
Households receiving SNAP 15.2% ±7.9 pts 9.9% 8.1% 11.1%
Households with a computer 97.6% ±2.1 pts 97.5% 97.4% 94.7%
Households with a broadband subscription 92.7% ±4.4 pts 91.3% 92.9% 90.3%

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 Census Tract 21?

Owners occupy 49.7% of Census Tract 21's occupied homes and renters 50.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $270,200 by its owner (±$20,949). The median renter pays $1,023 a month including utilities, and 37.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 21MadisonDane CountyWisconsin
Median home value (owner-occupied) $270,200 ±$20,949 $372,900 $394,800 $266,500
Median gross rent $1,023 ±$136 $1,413 $1,398 $1,087
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 37.4% ±13.4 pts 40.7% 38.6% 35.0%
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,727 ±$114 $2,098 $2,200 $1,689
Owner-occupied homes 49.7% ±8.2 pts 46.0% 57.1% 67.8%
Renter-occupied homes 50.3% ±8.2 pts 54.0% 42.9% 32.2%
Housing units 2,701 ±258 133,530 261,061 2,778,572
Single-family detached homes 49.5% ±7.2 pts 39.9% 50.5% 66.2%
Mobile homes 0.0% ±0.8 pts 0.9% 0.8% 3.1%
Built 2020 or later 4.0% ±4.1 pts 1.9% 2.4% 1.4%
Built 2010 to 2019 1.4% ±2.0 pts 12.4% 13.7% 7.1%
Built 1939 or earlier 40.2% ±8.5 pts 13.0% 10.4% 17.8%
Households with no vehicle 9.9% ±6.2 pts 12.2% 8.2% 6.4%

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 do people in Census Tract 21 get to work?

62.5% of Census Tract 21's workers drive alone and 20.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 18.8 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 21MadisonDane CountyWisconsin
In the labor force (age 16+) 76.4% ±6.1 pts 70.3% 70.3% 65.3%
Unemployment rate 1.8% ±2.7 pts 2.7% 2.4% 3.2%
Drove alone to work 62.5% ±7.4 pts 56.7% 63.8% 74.4%
Carpooled 1.6% ±1.2 pts 5.8% 5.6% 7.3%
Public transportation 4.7% ±2.6 pts 5.3% 2.9% 1.1%
Walked 2.6% ±1.9 pts 7.6% 4.9% 2.6%
Worked from home 20.9% ±7.8 pts 20.5% 20.0% 13.1%
Mean travel time to work 18.8 min ±2.4 19.4 min 20.6 min 22.2 min

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

How does Census Tract 21 compare with the other tracts in Dane County?

Among Dane County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 21 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).

Census Tract 21's rank among the tracts of Dane County and of Madison
MeasureIn Dane CountyIn Madison
Population42nd of 12316th of 70
Residents per square mile40th of 12333rd of 70
Median household income102nd of 12249th of 69
Per capita income104th of 12255th of 69
Median home value112th of 11759th of 64
Median gross rent112th of 12066th of 69
Poverty rate24th of 7824th of 51
Bachelor's degree or higher80th of 12153rd of 68
Median age96th of 12345th of 70
Owner-occupied share81st of 11534th of 62

The tracts next to it on Dane County's income ladder

Median household income, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractRankMedian household incomeResidents
Tract 699th$66,474±$6,491 · within the margin of this tract5,346
Tract 14.02100th$66,055±$24,118 · within the margin of this tract5,265
Tract 5.06101st$62,558±$4,761 · within the margin of this tract3,765
Tract 21102nd$62,284±$8,2645,325
Tract 26.03103rd$61,750±$16,906 · within the margin of this tract5,220
Tract 4.10104th$61,017±$3,156 · within the margin of this tract2,333
Tract 12105th$60,865±$11,590 · within the margin of this tract6,554

"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.

Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed

How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 21?

2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 21 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.

A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections