Schools, health, disaster risk, bridges and federal grants for Madison County, from national public records — each with its source. The same page for every U.S. county is at countycommons.us/us.
How Madison County compares — against the other counties in Arkansas
17,865 — people: 40th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$11,577 — spending per student in its school districts: 65th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
74.2 years — life expectancy: 9th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
9.9% — share of adults under 65 without health insurance: 36th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
20.5% — child poverty: 58th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
88.7% — households with broadband internet: 4th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$52,262 — median household income: 30th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
13.4% — share of bridges rated poor: 6th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$485 — federal grant dollars per resident: 34th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$11.7 million — expected yearly losses from natural hazards: 41st highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
“Highest” and “lowest” are just order, not grades: a high rank for poverty or hazard losses means more of it. Each figure's source is in its section below.
Public schools — district budgets, fiscal 2023
1 school district has its office in Madison County. School taxes are usually the largest part of a property tax bill.
HUNTSVILLE SCH DIST 12,339 students
Spent $33.5 million — $27.1 million to run schools, about $11,577 per student, plus $5.6 million on buildings and equipment. Money in: $4 million local (mostly property tax), $20.2 million state, $7.3 million federal. Long-term debt: $18.6 million.
Overall risk: Relatively Low compared with other U.S. counties. FEMA estimates natural hazards cost Madison County about $11.7 million a year on average in buildings, crops and lives. Ability to bounce back (community resilience): Relatively Low; social vulnerability: Relatively High.
The costliest hazards here
River and inland flooding$6 million a year · Relatively Low
Tornado$1.8 million a year · Relatively Moderate
Heat wave$1.1 million a year · Relatively Low
Ice storm$893,520 a year · Relatively High
Cold wave$573,750 a year · Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), expected annual loss. Ratings compare counties nationwide; they're estimates, not predictions.
Bridges — condition of every public bridge, 2025
149 bridges in Madison County: 35 in good condition, 94 fair, and 20 poor (13.4%). “Poor” means a main part — the deck, the beams, or the supports — is rated 4 or lower on the federal 0–9 scale. It doesn't mean unsafe to drive; unsafe bridges are closed.
Busiest bridges rated poor
SH 45 Madison Co. over WAR EAGLE CREEK · built 1964
2,800 vehicles a day
SH 74 Madison Co. over HOLMAN CREEK · built 1960
2,200 vehicles a day
SH 74 Madison Co. over RICHLAND CREEK · built 1934
2,197 vehicles a day
SH 23 Madison Co. over WAR EAGLE CREEK · built 1962
1,808 vehicles a day
SH 21 Madison over MAXWELL CREEK · built 1934
1,600 vehicles a day
SH 23-Madison Co. over HAWKINS HOLLOW CR · built 1955
Federal grants — the money that came in, and what's open now
Federal grants paid for $8 million of work in Madison County in fiscal 2025, about $485 per resident — to the county, cities, schools, hospitals, nonprofits and others.
Source: USAspending.gov, grants by place of performance, fiscal 2025 (Oct. 2024 to Sept. 2025). Search it by county to see each award.
Open now: federal grants county governments can apply for
From Grants.gov: posted grants listing county governments as eligible, soonest deadline first; research-only and overseas programs left out; list updated 2026-10-13, refreshed weekly. 62 are open in all. Cities, towns, school districts and nonprofits have their own lists there.