Madison was a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in Dane County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States. The

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

was 6,236 at the 2020 census. The town, although once larger, was broken up into discontinuous fragments by the much larger city of Madison, and was dissolved by merging parts of the town with the cities of Madison and Fitchburg on October 30, 2022. The majority of the town's territory was situated along Highway 12/18, comprising several neighborhoods situated between the south side of the city of Madison, and the north side of the city of Fitchburg. The town also had territory on the north side of Madison near the border with Maple Bluff, as well as a few lots on the west side of Madison near Whitney Way. The Alliant Energy Center was situated within the Town of Madison. Despite its status as an unincorporated community, the Town of Madison provided a variety of services to its residents which are typically only found in incorporated cities and villages, including police, fire and emergency medical services; sewer and water utilities; and three public parks.

History

The original Town of Madison encompassed approximately , and was organized on February 2, 1846. In 1856 the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Repub ...

chartered the city of Madison, leaving the remainder as the town. Most of this land was gradually incorporated into various municipalities, especially the city of Madison, leaving the town as a collection of discontinuous areas subject to annexation. In the wake of continued controversy and an effort in the state legislature to simply abolish the town, an agreement was reached in 2003 to provide for the incorporation of the remaining portions of the town (by then down to less than , including bodies of water) into the city of Madison and the city of Fitchburg on October 31, 2022. The dissolution took place on schedule.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town had a total area of , of which was land and (0.67%) was water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 6,279 people, 2,852 households, and 1,212 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 4,234.1 people per square mile (1,669.5/km²). There were 3,069 housing units at an average density of 2,069.5 per square mile (799/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 54.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 20.1%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.9% Native American, 5.9% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 13.7% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. 28.0% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 2,852 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.5% were non-families. 41.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 3.19. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 16.8% from 18 to 25, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $29,766, and the median income for a family was $37,344. Males had a median income of $31,450 versus $25,795 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $19,566. About 22.0% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 51.2% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over."U.S. Census website"

, 2006-2010 American Community Survey. Retrieved June 20, 2012.

References

External links

Town of Madison government website

Madison – Town of Madison – Fitchburg boundary change map

{{authority control Towns in Dane County, Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin, metropolitan statistical area Towns in Wisconsin 1846 establishments in Wisconsin Territory 2022 disestablishments in Wisconsin Former populated places in Wisconsin Populated places disestablished in 2022