Madison County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,823. Its county seat is Jackson. Madison County is included in the Jackson, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Madison County was formed in 1821, and named for founding father and president, James Madison. The county was part of lands the United States purchased from the Chickasaw in 1818.Harbert Alexander
"Madison County"
''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''; retrieved October 22, 2013. After Congressional passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, most Chickasaw were forced out of the state and west to Indian Territory beyond the Mississippi River.

Pinson Mounds The Pinson Mounds comprise a prehistoric Native American complex located in Madison County, Tennessee, in the region that is known as the Eastern Woodlands. The complex, which includes 17 mounds, an earthen geometric enclosure, and numerous habit ...

, one of the largest

Woodland period In the classification of :category:Archaeological cultures of North America, archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 Common Era, BCE to European con ...

(c. 1-500CE) mound complexes in the United States, is located in Madison County. It has the second-tallest earthwork mound in the United States.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

Airport

McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL) serves the county.

Adjacent counties

* Gibson County (north) * Carroll County (northeast) * Henderson County (east) *

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...

(southeast) * Hardeman County (south) * Haywood County (west) *

Crockett County Crockett County is the name of two counties in the United States, both named for frontiersman and politician Davy Crockett: * Crockett County, Tennessee * Crockett County, Texas Crockett County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in th ...

(northwest)

State protected areas

* Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park *South Fork Waterfowl Refuge

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 98,823 people, 38,930 households, and 25,748 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 91,837 people, 35,552 households, and 24,637 families residing in the county. The population density was 165 people per square mile (64/km²). There were 38,205 housing units at an average density of 69 per square mile (26/km²). There were 35,552 households, out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.80% 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 t ...

non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Amer ...

European American European Americans (also referred to as Euro-Americans) are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes people who are descended from the first European settlers in the United States as well as people who are descended from more recent Eu ...

, 32.46% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.63%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.71% of the population were Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 35,552 households, out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.80% were

living together, 15.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,982, and the median income for a family was $44,595. Males had a median income of $34,253 versus $23,729 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,389. About 10.80% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.40% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county is headed by an elected

county mayor A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county. The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...

(currently A.J. Massey) and

county commission A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

of 25 members elected from 10 districts.

Healthcare

West Tennessee Healthcare (Jackson-Madison County General Hospital District), created by a law passed by the

Tennessee General Assembly The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Senate carries the additional title ...

in 1949, serves as the public hospital system of the county. The county appoints some of the members of the board of directors.

Trivia

This is the Madison County to which Kenny Rogers refers in his song "Reuben James".

Communities

Cities

Humboldt Humboldt may refer to: People * Alexander von Humboldt, German natural scientist, brother of Wilhelm von Humboldt * Wilhelm von Humboldt, German linguist, philosopher, and diplomat, brother of Alexander von Humboldt Fictional characters * ...

(mostly in Gibson County) * Jackson (county seat) * Medon *

Three Way ''Three Way'' is a 2004 neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Scott Ziehl and starring Dominic Purcell, Joy Bryant, Ali Larter, Desmond Harrington, Dwight Yoakam, and Gina Gershon. The plot, based on Gil Brewer's pulp novel '' Wild To Possess'' ...

Unincorporated communities

* Adair * Beech Bluff * Claybrook * Denmark * Five Points *

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...

* Neely * Oakfield * Pinson *

Spring Creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring creek may additionally be ...

Education

Jackson-Madison County School System is the public school district.
Text list
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West Tennessee School for the Deaf West Tennessee School For the Deaf (WTSD) is a public state-operated elementary school serving deaf students ages two through thirteen. It is an agency of the Division of Special Schools of the Tennessee State Department of Education.

is a state-operated school in the county.

References

External links

Madison County official website

Madison County, TNGenWeb
– free genealogy resources for the county * {{Coord, 35.61, -88.84, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TN_source:UScensus1990 1821 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1821 Jackson metropolitan area, Tennessee Second Amendment sanctuaries in Tennessee West Tennessee