Madison County

General

Population: 35,337
Land area (sq. mi.): 572.62
Population per square mile: 62.1

Race and Age

Race

White: 78.2%
African American: 1.1%
American Indian: 1.0%
Asian: 1.3%
Hispanic: 15.5%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.0%
Two or More Races: 2.6%

Age

0-17: 25.8%
18-64: 57.6%
65+: 16.6%

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita: $60,169
% of Population in Poverty: 10.6%
# of Housing Units: 15,094
Owner-occupied rate: 66.0%
Median home price: $183,310

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem): 89.2%

Sources: National Association of Realtors, Nebraska Library Commission, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau

Employment, Schools, and Child Care

Unemployment rate: 1.7% (as of September 2022)

County Employment Website: https://madisoncountyne.gov/employment/

High school graduate or higher: 92.4%

School Districts: Battle Creek Public Schools, Elkhorn Valley Schools, Humphrey Public Schools, Newman Grove Public Schools, Norfolk Public Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher: 23.8%

Community College Service Area: Northeast Community College

Countywide child care capacity: 74 providers; 2,360 children

Find child care: For a list of child care providers in your zip code, visit Nebraska DHHS or the Nebraska Resource and Referral System.

Madison County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (2020): $2,595,760,000

Cattle Producers: 226

• Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.): $37/acre

Crop Producers: 284

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $198/acre
• Irrigated Land Cash Rent (avg.): $288/acre

Dairy Producers: 2

Grain Co-ops and Purchasers: Aurora Cooperative, CIE Norfolk GNS, Farmers Pride

Local Grain Market: Click for today's grain prices in Madison County

Farmers Markets: Norfolk Farmers Market - Riverpoint Square (Riverpoint Square - Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to Noon)

Electricity Providers: City of Battle Creek, City of Madison, Elkhorn Rural PPD, Loup River PPD, Nebraska PPD, Stanton County PPD

Wind Turbines Operating (MW): 1 turbine (MW unknown)

Rail-served Communities: Enola, Madison, Norfolk

Well Locations (Irrigation/Livestock), Soils, Groundwater & Surface Water

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells: 1,261

Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation): 74

Click for real time:

Streamflow data on the Elkhorn River at Norfolk

Sources: National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA), Nebraska Cooperative Council, Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, Nebraska Department of Transportation, Nebraska Office of the CIO, Nebraska Power Review Board, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau

2022 Levies and Valuation

County levy rate: $0.3853 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied: $17,858,570

Total local government property taxes levied: $80,554,669

Total countywide taxable valuation: $4,634,596,685

Click here for all levy rates in Madison County

County Levy and Taxation Laws

Levy limits

Since 1996, counties and other political subdivisions have been subject to the levy limits listed in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-3442 and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-3443.

Statutes and regulations

Nebraska Revised Statutes (Chapter 77)

Nebraska Administrative Code (Title 350)

Local tax reductions, exemptions, and credits

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-902(5)(a) (Deed "stamp tax" exemption): "The [stamp tax] shall not apply to: ... (5)(a) Deeds between spouses, between ex-spouses for the purpose of conveying any rights to property acquired or held during the marriage, or between parent and child, without actual consideration therefor."

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-201(2) (Valuation of agricultural land and horticultural land): "Agricultural land and horticultural land as defined in section 77-1359 shall constitute a separate and distinct class of property for purposes of property taxation, shall be subject to taxation, unless expressly exempt from taxation, and shall be valued at seventy-five percent of its actual value, except that for school district taxes levied to pay the principal and interest on bonds that are approved by a vote of the people on or after January 1, 2022, such land shall be valued at fifty percent of its actual value."

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-6703(1) (Tax credit for school district taxes paid): "(1) For taxable years beginning or deemed to begin on or after January 1, 2020, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, there shall be allowed to each eligible taxpayer a refundable credit against the income tax imposed by the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967 or against the franchise tax imposed by sections 77-3801 to 77-3807. The credit shall be equal to the credit percentage for the taxable year, as set by the department under subsection (2) of this section, multiplied by the amount of school district taxes paid by the eligible taxpayer during such taxable year."

Sources: Nebraska Department of Revenue

State Senator: Rob Dover (District 19)

Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings): 

• Appropriations

Select Committees:

• LR135 Select Interim Committee

Special Committees:

• Statewide Tourism and Recreation Water Access and Resource Sustainability

Map and statistics for Legislative District 19

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Madison County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 12

Year Authorized: 1867

Year Organized: 1867

Etymology: Madison, Wisconsin (in turned named for James Madison, 4th U.S. president)

     Madison County owes its German heritage to settlers who moved from Wisconsin to Nebraska after emigrating from Europe. History credits Herman Braasch and Frederick Wagner among the first European settlers to establish a community in the county, situated along the Elkhorn River. After surveying and finding the area rich with fertile soil and abundant water, the two pioneers departed for Wisconsin, intent on returning with their family and friends. However, when they returned in 1866, another pioneer group from Illinois had staked claims to the area. Disinclined to share the land with the one hundred-strong contingent from Wisconsin, the Illinois group sold their claims to Braasch and moved south to what would become the city of Madison. The German group, composed of two dozen families, drew lots and laid out claims for what would eventually become Norfolk, the northeast region’s biggest city.

     Although James Madison appears to be the namesake of the county and its seat, the most widely accepted historical accounts list Madison, Wisconsin, as the most likely eponym. The county was a notable destination for the Orphan Train Movement, a well-intentioned but also somewhat controversial program that placed orphaned and homeless children, as well as those of destitute families, with families across the Midwest in the early 1900’s. Madison County was also the childhood home of Richie Ashburn, a baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1950's and later served as the team’s broadcaster. Though he played professional baseball, Ashburn would officiate high school basketball games in Madison County to stay in shape during the offseason.
 

Highlight an important program from your county in this space! Send an email to:

luke.bonkiewicz@nebraskacounties.org

Local Highlights

License Plate Number: 7

Time Zone: Central

Number of Veterans: 2,223

Zoned County: Yes

Number of County-Owned Bridges: 230

Number of County-Owned Dams: 1

Election Data

General Election Turnout (2022): 53.98%

Total Registered Voters (2020): 22,096

Number of Precincts (2020): 22

Number of Election Day Polling Places (2020): 15

Land Area per Polling Place (avg.) (2020): 57.28 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: Northeast

Natural Resource Districts: Lower Elkhorn NRD, Lower Platte North NRD

State Lands (acres): Oak Valley WMA (640), Yellowbanks WMA (663.71)

Sources: Nebraska Department of Transportation, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, Nebraska Legislature, Nebraska Office of the CIO, Nebraska Secretary of State, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (eCFR)