Who Lives in Madison?
(Note: This page is part of the 2025 Housing Snapshot report)
In 2023, Madison had approximately 126,000 households, and just over half (53%) of them rented their homes.
CHAS (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy) data from 2017–2021 helps to break down these numbers more by household type, tenure (whether renter or homeowner), and income, all of which can help to understand the housing choices that Madison needs.
-
1 in 5
are small families
Households containing 2-4 related people
-
~1 in 10
are elderly
Households containing someone over 62 years old
-
~2 in 3
are in other categories
Individuals or unrelated roommates that are under 62 years old
-
2 in 5
are small families
Households containing 2-4 related people
-
~1 in 3
are elderly
Households containing someone over 62 years old
-
~1 in 5
are in other categories
Individuals or unrelated roommates that are under 62 years old
Meanwhile, only 8% of Madison households are considered “large family households” with 5 or more individuals, though about two-thirds of large families own their homes.
When creating support for and looking at needs of households with the fewest choices and opportunities, it helps to break down households by income level. Generally, renter households making less than 30% AMI (Area Median Income) have few housing choices. They would not typically qualify for homeownership loans. Without access to heavily subsidized rental housing options, they face unaffordable rents and/or very low-quality housing.
CHAS data from 2021 provides good estimates of the types of renter households making less than 30% AMI:
- Most of the ~11,875 renter households categorized as “Other” are likely students.
- Over 2,300 are small families of 2–4 people (this includes single parents).
- Nearly 1,900 are individuals over 62.
- Only an estimated 120 are “elderly families,” likely having similar needs to elderly individuals.
- The “large family” renters making less than 30% AMI is a small group (only an estimated 240), but likely have needs for rental homes with 3–4 bedrooms.
View Figure Data
| Income and Tenure | Elderly Family | Elderly Non-Family | Large Family | Small Family | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% AMI Owner | 400 | 1,480 | 160 | 355 | 820 | 3,215 |
| 30-50% AMI Owner | 570 | 1,580 | 50 | 720 | 710 | 3,630 |
| 50-80% AMI Owner | 1,800 | 1,800 | 470 | 2,095 | 1,805 | 7,970 |
| 80-100% AMI Owner | 1,010 | 1,225 | 390 | 2,720 | 1,640 | 6,985 |
| 100+% AMI Owner | 6,520 | 2,905 | 1,830 | 17,245 | 5,555 | 34,055 |
| 30% AMI Renter | 120 | 1,865 | 240 | 2,320 | 11,875 | 16,420 |
| 30-50% AMI Renter | 330 | 1,325 | 485 | 2,515 | 6,815 | 11,470 |
| 50-80% AMI Renter | 255 | 1,245 | 505 | 2,850 | 8,145 | 13,100 |
| 80-100% AMI Renter | 140 | 565 | 140 | 1,560 | 3,955 | 6,360 |
| 100+% AMI Renter | 525 | 680 | 195 | 3,860 | 8,850 | 14,110 |
| Total | 11,770 | 14,670 | 4,465 | 36,240 | 50,170 | 117,315 |
Source: HUD CHAS 5-Year Estimates (2017–2021) for Madison, WI, Table 7