“Counties like it” are metro-area counties with a similar population and a median household income near Madison County's ($52,262). Ahead or behind means more than 15% better or worse than the typical one.
Ahead of similar counties on 4 measures:
Behind similar counties on 1 measure:
About the same on 7: life expectancy, adults under 65 without health insurance, residents per primary care doctor, children in poverty, food insecurity, households with severe housing problems, households with broadband internet.
| Measure | Madison County | Typical similar county |
|---|---|---|
| Population change, 2020–2024 | 7.9% 16,560 → 17,865 | 1.9% |
| School spending per student (day-to-day costs) | $11,577 | $13,326 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; Census Annual Survey of School System Finances (school year 2023), current spending divided by enrollment across the districts based in the county.
At the end of 2024, Madison County's general fund held $2,439,955 — enough to cover about 7.4 months of that year's spending. Five years earlier (2020) it held $2,041,642. Among the 75 Arkansas counties whose state audits include this five-year schedule, that ranks 58 of 75 for months covered; the typical county held about 10.6 months.
Source: each county's state audit, “Schedule of Selected Information for the Last Five Years — General Fund” (unaudited schedule). Latest years differ by county (2023, 2024). A larger reserve isn't automatically better or worse — it can be savings for a planned project, or money not yet spent. The year-by-year table.
“Counties like it” means other counties in a metro area with a similar number of people and a similar median household income (about $52,262 here). Comparing with them, instead of the whole country, shows what similar places have managed. Madison County is furthest behind on bridges rated poor.
| Measure | Madison County | Typical similar county | Doing best among similar counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 ahead of similar counties | 21.5 | 30.6 | Jones County, TX 18.4 Pickens County, AL 19.2 Washington County, FL 19.5 |
| Life expectancy about the same | 74.2 years | 72.0 years | Edmonson County, KY 75.3 years Gilchrist County, FL 74.9 years Radford city, VA 74.8 years |
| Adults under 65 without health insurance about the same | 9.9% | 11.2% | Brooke County, WV 5.7% Radford city, VA 5.9% Somerset County, MD 6.1% |
| Residents per primary care doctor about the same | 3,392 | 3,393 | Waynesboro city, VA 1,187 Bibb County, AL 1,498 Radford city, VA 1,833 |
| Residents per mental health provider ahead of similar counties | 741 | 1,362 | Somerset County, MD 304 Poinsett County, AR 367 Radford city, VA 386 |
| Children in poverty about the same | 20.5% | 23.5% | Bates County, MO 16.4% Brooke County, WV 17.5% Radford city, VA 17.9% |
| Food insecurity about the same | 18.4% | 16.7% | Brooke County, WV 12.7% Fairfield County, SC 12.8% McDuffie County, GA 13.6% |
| Households with severe housing problems about the same | 10.2% | 11.7% | Edmonson County, KY 6.5% Brooke County, WV 7.3% Butler County, KY 8.2% |
| Unemployment ahead of similar counties | 2.6% | 3.8% | Bibb County, AL 2.5% Henry County, AL 2.6% Cherokee County, KS 2.7% |
| Households with broadband internet about the same | 88.7% | 80.9% | Radford city, VA 88.5% Waynesboro city, VA 87.5% Boone County, WV 86.3% |
| Jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64 ahead of similar counties | 10 | 548 | Bates County, MO 111 Pawnee County, OK 228 Bibb County, AL 321 |
| Bridges rated poor behind similar counties | 13.4% | 5.5% | Henry County, AL 0.0% Gilchrist County, FL 0.0% Worth County, GA 0.0% |
“Behind” or “ahead” means more than 15% worse or better than the typical (median) similar county; small differences can be noise. Sources: County Health Rankings 2025 (health, money and internet), Vera Institute (jail, latest year from 2015 on), FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025, HUD (metro areas), Census 2024 population. What has worked elsewhere on each of these.
“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.
Related: By the numbers · The money trail · Audits · What has worked. Spot an error? Report it.