Madison is the 11th most populous city in Mississippi, United States, located in Madison County, north of the state capital, Jackson. The population was 27,747 at the 2020 census, up from 24,149 in 2010. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The city of Madison, named for James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, developed along a bustling railroad track in antebellum Mississippi. It began in 1856 when the Illinois Central Railroad opened Madison Station, the forerunner of the city of Madison.

The nearby town of Madisonville was a settlement along the stagecoach route on the Natchez Trace. It was the first county seat of Madison County in 1828, and had a race track, two banks, a wagon factory, and at least one hotel. Its residents gradually moved to the new railroad community, and old Madisonville became defunct.

Like many railroad towns in the South, Madison Station was heavily damaged by the Union Army during the Civil War. Ten miles from the state capital of Jackson, Madison Station was largely destroyed in 1863 after the July 18–22 siege of Jackson. No battles were fought in Madison County, but Major General Stephen D. Lee concentrated his command in Madison Station during the month of February 1864. Stephen Lee was later appointed as the first president of Mississippi State College (now Mississippi State University).

Geography

Madison is in southern Madison County and is bordered to the south by the city of Ridgeland. The city of Gluckstadt is to the north. Interstate 55 passes through the city, with access from Exit 107 (Madison Avenue) and Exit 108 (Hwy 463). U.S. Route 51 passes through the city center, now within the eastern part of the city limits as expansion has occurred to the west. The Natchez Trace Parkway runs along the eastern border of the city.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Madison has a total area of , of which are land and , or 4.47%, are water.

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thumb|right|[[Strawberry Patch Park]]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Madison had a population of 27,747, with 9,989 households and 7,121 families. The median age was 42.8 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.4 males age 18 and over.

There were 9,989 households in Madison, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 65.8% were married-couple households, 11.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

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| White || 21,918 || 79.0%

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| Black or African American || 3,248 || 11.7%

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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 34 || 0.1%

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| Asian || 1,345 || 4.8%

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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 6 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 241 || 0.9%

|-

| Two or more races || 955 || 3.4%

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| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 566 || 2.0%

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2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,692 people, 5,189 households, and 4,249 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,316 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.23% White, 4.89% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 5,189 households, out of which 48.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.0% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $71,266 (estimated at $105,485 in 2008), and the median income for a family was $77,202. Males had a median income of $54,358 versus $34,081 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,082. About 2.1% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation

  • Strawberry Patch Park, one mile running trail, playground, and children's fishing pond
  • Liberty Park, sports fields and playgrounds
  • Simmons Arboretum, wooded trail

Education

Madison is served by the Madison County School District. The student/teacher ratio is 19:1.

Madison-Ridgeland Academy is a 6A private high school and member of the MSAIS located in Madison.

St. Joseph Catholic School is a parochial school located in Madison that serves the Jackson Area; it is of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson.

In 2010, Tulane University opened a satellite campus of its School of Continuing Studies. The campus was housed in a renovated wing of the former Madison Station Elementary School (Madison Ridgeland High School) campus until it closed in 2017. Jackson State University has also opened a satellite campus in the city.

Madison Middle School is a public school located in Madison county

Transportation

There is one small airport in the city, Bruce Campbell Field.

Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, to the southeast, is the commercial airport of the Jackson metropolitan area.

As for roads, I-55 shortly passes through the city while US-51 goes through the center of town. Mississippi Highway 463 serves as a major business corridor of Madison .

Points of interest

  • Simmons Arboretum
  • The Chapel of the Cross, just outside the northwestern city limits in Mannsdale, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Notable people

  • Joseph Bennett (Mississippi politician) 19th century state legislator
  • Joel Bomgar, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
  • Eddie Briggs, lawyer and former lieutenant governor of Mississippi
  • Buddy Brown, country music singer
  • Shaq Buchanan (born 1997), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
  • John F. Burrow, former member of the Mississippi State Senate and Mississippi House of Representatives
  • Corey Dickerson, professional baseball player for the Miami Marlins; resides in Madison during the offseason
  • Tate Ellington, actor
  • Stephen Gostkowski, professional football player for the Tennessee Titans
  • Parys Haralson, former National Football League (NFL) linebacker
  • Larry Hart, former NFL defensive end
  • Sarah Beth James, Miss Mississippi 2010
  • Timothy L. Johnson, former member of the Mississippi State Senate
  • Will Longwitz, member of the Mississippi State Senate
  • D. J. Montgomery, wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts
  • Roy K. Moore, FBI agent
  • Ronnie Musgrove, 62nd governor of Mississippi
  • John Henry Rogers, congressman from Arkansas and a federal judge
  • Chris Spencer, former NFL center
  • Spencer Turnbull, former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Dallas Walker, former NFL tight end
  • Ruston Webster, NFL scout for the Atlanta Falcons
  • Sammy Winder, former running back for the Denver Broncos

References