Madison County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Madison County, Alabama has a population of 405,718 across 802 square miles, up 9.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $38.96 bn in 2024, 9,295 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 265 7(a) approvals worth $147.1 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Madison County
How many people live in Madison County
- Population405,718
- Households165,031
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$86,499
- Median age38.2
- Median gross rent$1,209 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$299,200
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher46.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree18.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over278,833
- Population under 1887,718
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over63,754
- Share 65 and over15.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64254,246
- Civilian labor force211,635
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.6 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties3rd of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents183rd
Madison County is the 3rd largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.6 percent against 15.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Madison County
Is Madison County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base9.07 percent
- Census 2020 base population388,156
- Births, 20244,547
- Deaths, 20243,754
- Natural change, 2024793
- Net domestic migration, 20246,666
- Net international migration, 20242,014
- Total net migration, 20248,680
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202425,335
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents182nd
The county has grown 9.07 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Madison County
Where people moving to Madison County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving11,408
- People arriving, from those returns21,083
- Adjusted gross income arriving$825.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$72,367
- Largest single originMadison County Non-migrants (144,802 households)
- Largest single destination (144,802 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County Non-migrants | 144,802 | 293,908 | $14.71 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,920 | 7,559 | $302.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 2,126 | 4,151 | $163.6 m |
| Limestone County | 983 | 1,929 | $69.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 767 | 1,392 | $53.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 603 | 1,227 | $53.3 m |
| Morgan County | 480 | 823 | $24.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 424 | 789 | $31.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Madison County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Madison County
What the Madison County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$38.96 bn
- County GDP, 2023$36.66 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.3 percent
- GDP change over five years39.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents153rd
- GDP per resident$96,023
Output grew 6.3 percent in the latest year and 39.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Madison County
Who employs people in Madison County
- Covered employment, annual average229,807
- Establishments reporting13,778
- Average annual pay$77,051
- Average weekly wage$1,482
- Sector 54, employment43,948
- Sector 54, average annual pay$121,088
- Sector 31-33, employment27,051
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$89,668
- Sector 44-45, employment22,614
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,123
- Sector 62, employment19,206
- Sector 62, average annual pay$65,606
- Sector 72, employment18,710
- Sector 56, employment12,608
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 54 | 43,948 | 2,680 | $121,088 |
| Sector 31-33 | 27,051 | 566 | $89,668 |
| Sector 44-45 | 22,614 | 1,509 | $39,123 |
| Sector 62 | 19,206 | 1,700 | $65,606 |
| Sector 72 | 18,710 | 1,093 | $23,858 |
| Sector 56 | 12,608 | 789 | $44,603 |
| Sector 23 | 7,790 | 922 | $74,519 |
| Sector 42 | 5,267 | 580 | $89,642 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 43,948 jobs, 19.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Madison County
What businesses operate in Madison County
- Establishments, all industries9,295
- Employment at those establishments191,024
- Annual payroll$12.93 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Madison County
What is being built in Madison County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20244,710
- Declared construction value permitted$982.3 m
- Single family units authorised3,478
- Multifamily units authorised1,232
- Multifamily share of units26.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$208,560
- Units authorised per 1,000 households28.5
Multifamily is 26.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Madison County
How much SBA lending happens in Madison County
- 7(a) approvals recorded265
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$147.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$555,127
- Median 7(a) approval$285,500
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,265,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,289
- Jobs per approval12.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active69
- Distinct industries receiving approvals127
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer7.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms21
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter210
- Franchise loans77
- Franchise share of approvals29.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (18)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (35)
- 504 approvals recorded128
- 504 gross approval dollars$106.5 m
- Average 504 approval$831,766
- Median 504 approval$637,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval12.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.4
- Most active CDCSouthern Development Council (49)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals67.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$253.6 m
The average approval of $555,127 sits well above the median of $285,500, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 7.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Madison County
Do SBA loans in Madison County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded50
- Paid in full44
- Charged off6
- Charge off rate on resolved loans12.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full44
- Status: Exempt from disclosure167
- Status: Cancelled32
- Status: Charged off6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed16
Of the 50 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Madison County
Which parts of Madison County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending13
- Huntsville, approvals162
- Madison, approvals66
- Harvest, approvals10
- Owens Cross Roads, approvals8
- Gurley, approvals5
- Meridianville, approvals4
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | 162 | $99,578,300 |
| Madison | 66 | $36,879,000 |
| Harvest | 10 | $1,999,100 |
| Owens Cross Roads | 8 | $3,800,000 |
| Gurley | 5 | $879,300 |
| Meridianville | 4 | $1,151,500 |
| NEW MARKET | 2 | $1,262,500 |
| TONEY | 2 | $305,000 |
Huntsville accounts for 162 approvals against 66 in Madison. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Madison County
How big is Madison County
- Land area802 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties19th of 67
- Width, east to west27.2 mi
- Height, north to south35.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land506
- Establishments per square mile11.59
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Madison County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Madison County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population405,718
- Households165,031
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$86,499
- Median age38.2
Common questions
Madison County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Madison County, Alabama?
405,718, in 165,031 households, ranking 3rd of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Madison County growing?
The population has grown 9.07 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,547 births against 3,754 deaths, with net migration of 8,680. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Madison County?
$86,499. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $299,200, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,209 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Madison County?
9,295 establishments, employing 191,024 people with an annual payroll of $12.93 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Madison County?
Average annual pay is $77,051, or $1,482 a week, across 229,807 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Madison County?
265 7(a) approvals totalling $147.1 m since FY2020, across 69 lenders, with a median approval of $285,500, plus 128 504 approvals worth $106.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Madison County get paid back?
Of the 50 loans that have reached a final outcome, 44 were paid in full and 6 charged off, a charge off rate of 12.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Madison County?
4,710 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $982.3 m. Multifamily was 26.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Madison County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Madison County come from?
The largest single origin is Madison County Non-migrants, with 144,802 households. Arriving households report an average income of $72,367 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Madison County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Madison County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.