Madison County, North Carolina

thumb|right|200px|[[Advertisement for Warm Springs Hotel, Madison County, ca. 1880]]

Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,193. Madison County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was formed in 1851 from parts of Buncombe County and Yancey County. It was named for James Madison, fourth president of the United States (1809–1817).

The community of Long Ridge, outside of Mars Hill, is a traditionally African American community, and boasts one of the last remaining Rosenwald Schools in Western North Carolina.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.41%) is water.

Madison County is located deep in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, and much of the county's terrain is rugged, heavily forested, and sparsely populated. The county's northern border is with the State of Tennessee. Madison County's largest river is the French Broad River, which flows north-northwest through the county, first past the county seat of Marshall, then past the resort town of Hot Springs.

National Protected area

Pisgah National Forest (part)

State and local protected areas

Harmon Den Wildlife Management Area (part)
Pisgah National Forest Game Land (part)
Sandy Mush Game Land (part)

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

| align = right

thumb|2020 population density of Madison County NC by census block

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Madison County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|16,567

|16,684

|19,004

|19,734

|style='background: #ffffe6; |19,233

|98.45%

|98.41%

|96.79%

|95.04%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |90.75%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|135

|160

|233

|style='background: #ffffe6; |197

|0.80%

|0.81%

|1.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.93%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|37

|17

|50

|43

|style='background: #ffffe6; |56

|0.22%

|0.10%

|0.25%

|0.21%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.26%

|Asian alone (NH)

|29

|43

|70

|style='background: #ffffe6; |84

|0.04%

|0.17%

|0.22%

|0.34%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.40%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1

|0.01%

|0.04%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|17

|style='background: #ffffe6; |73

|0.00%

|0.01%

|0.00%

|0.08%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.34%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|111

|236

|style='background: #ffffe6; |801

|0.57%

|1.14%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.78%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|82

|86

|266

|423

|style='background: #ffffe6; |748

|0.49%

|0.51%

|1.35%

|2.04%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.53%

|Total

|16,827

|16,953

|19,635

|20,764

|style='background: #ffffe6; |21,193

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 21,193, with 8,920 households and 5,456 families residing in the county.

The median age was 45.9 years; 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.2 males age 18 and over.

There were 8,920 households in the county, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.6% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. there were 19,635 people, 8,000 households, and 5,592 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,722 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.63% White, 0.83% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,000 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.20% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,985, and the median income for a family was $37,383. Males had a median income of $27,950 versus $22,678 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,076. About 10.90% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 19.20% of those age 65 or over.

Law, government, and politics

Government

Madison County is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners who are elected every two years with staggered four year terms as proscribed by North Carolina state law. The Board selects its own chairman and holds scheduled meetings on the second Monday of each month. Madison County is a member of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council of governments.

Law and policing

The Madison County Sheriff's Office protects the court, manages the jail, protects county owned facilities, and provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county. The towns of Mars Hill, Hot Springs, and Marshall have municipal police departments.

Politics

In Madison County, Republicans dominate by wide margins in national and state elections, though Democrats remain competitive in county and municipal elections.

Education

Madison County Schools consists of one early college high school, one traditional high school (Madison High School, located in the county seat of Marshall), one middle school (Madison Middle School), and three elementary schools (Brush Creek Elementary, Hot Springs Elementary, and Mars Hill Elementary). Brush Creek Elementary was built as a merger of Marshall Elementary and Walnut Elementary after the latter burned down in 1998.

The county is also home to Mars Hill University, a private, coed, four-year liberal-arts university. Founded in 1856, Mars Hill is the oldest college or university in western North Carolina. The university offers 34 majors and seven degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Social Work, and Master of Education.

Culture

Madison County was historically a center for old-time folk music. Among others, the folk song Rain and Snow likely originated there, in the late 19th century.

Communities

thumb|300px|Map of Madison County with municipal and township labels

Towns

Hot Springs
Mars Hill (largest municipality)
Marshall (county seat)

Townships

The county is divided into eleven townships that are both numbered and named:

Township 1, Marshall
Township 2, Laurel
Township 3, Mars Hill
Township 4, Beech Glenn
Township 5, Walnut
Township 6, Hot Springs
Township 7, Ebbs Chapel
Township 8, Spring Creek
Township 9, Sandy Mush
Township 10, Grapevine
Township 11, Revere Rice

Formerly there were sixteen townships, which were both numbered and named:

Township 1, Marshall
Township 2, Shelton Laurel
Township 3, Bull Creek
Township 4, Middle Fork of Ivy
Township 5, West Fork of Ivy
Township 6, Sandy Mush
Township 7, Little Pine Creek
Township 8, Spring Creek
Township 9, Hot Springs
Township 10, Big Laurel
Township 11, Upper Laurel
Township 12, Big Pine Creek
Township 13, Meadow Fork of Spring Creek
Township 14, Grapevine
Township 15, Mars Hill
Township 16, Foster Creek

Unincorporated communities

Barnard
Faust
Hurricane
Joe
Luck
Paint Rock
Petersburg
Revere
Spring Creek
Trust
Walnut
White Rock