Madison tops ‘Best Places to Live in Alabama’
The Niche organization has selected Madison as number one in its list of "2017 Best Places to Live in Alabama." CONTRIBUTED
Madison, Madison County Record, News, Schools, Z - News Main
 By  GreggParker Published 
8:53 pm Thursday, December 28, 2017

Madison tops ‘Best Places to Live in Alabama’

MADISON – One company has released a fact about Madison that most residents already knew.

The Niche company has rated Madison as number one in its list of “2017 Best Places to Live in Alabama.”

Based in Pittsburgh, Penn., Niche uses a small team of scientists, engineers, parents and progressive thinkers who are dedicated to help consumers find the schools and neighborhoods that match their lifestyles and quality-of-life expectations.

The “2017 Best Places to Live” ranking provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall livability of an area, according to Niche. This grade takes into account several key factors of a location, including quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics and access to amenities.

Niche gave the Madison community an overall grade of “A+,” and Madison City Schools earned an “A+”. Other grading categories include “Housing,” A+; “Good for Families,” A+; “Jobs,” A; “Cost of Living,” A-; “Commute,” A-; and “Diversity,” A-.

Four standards received “B” rankings: “Nightlife,” B+; “Weather,” B+; “Health and Fitness,” B+; and “Crime & Safety,” B-.

Niche listed Madison’s population at 45,590. Its findings stated median home value as $226,700 and median rent as $859. Seventy-two percent of residents are homeowners, while 28 percent rent a place to live.

For property crimes in Madison, Niche reported that Madison had 328 burglaries, compared to the national average of 525 (calculated annually per 100,000 residents). A total of 1,434 thefts in Madison was lower than 2,081 nationally. Madison’s 104 motor vehicle thefts compare to 263 nationally.

Madison’s median household income is $92,960, Niche reported, compared to the national average of $53,889. For education levels, 21 percent of Madison residents hold a master’s degree or higher, 35 percent earned a bachelor’s degree and 27 percent compiled some college credit or an associate’s degree.

The Niche website, niche.com, helps individuals discover the schools and neighborhoods that fit a person’s or family’s needs. They rigorously analyze dozens of public data sets and millions of reviews to produce comprehensive rankings, report cards and profiles for every K-12 school, college and U.S. neighborhood.

Niche gathers some of the industry’s most comprehensive data available on U.S. schools and neighborhoods. The company constantly updates and connects millions of data points to produce new rankings and insights.

For more information, visit niche.com.

Also on The Madison Record
Volunteers needed for MVP’s Big Weekend of Service
A: Main, Events, Madison County Record, ...
Gregg Parker 
June 10, 2026
MADISON – The work of volunteers will result in improvements around the city during the second annual “Serve Madison: Big Weekend of Service.” Madison...
Main Street Madison to kick off Third Thursdays next week
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
STAFF REPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com 
June 10, 2026
MADISON - Did you know the 2026 Summer Solstice is June 21st and the longest day of the year? As it turns out, you don’t have to wait until the 21st t...
Blue Apple Books to host book club, crafts painting and author
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
Gregg Parker 
June 10, 2026
MADISON – A widely diverse slate of activities will unfold soon at Blue Apple Books. “In April 2026, Blue Apple Books began a new store-affiliated boo...
Angela Mason selected as “Teacher of the Year” at James Clemens High School
Madison County Record, News, Schools, ...
Gregg Parker 
June 10, 2026
MADISON – Angela Mason says she hasn’t received accolades during her teacher career. However, that situation has changed for her at James Clemens High...
Main Street Madison seeks public input in market survey
A: Main, Business, Madison County Record, ...
Maria Rakoczy 
June 3, 2026
MADISON - Main Street Madison (MSM) is asking for feedback from Madison residents in a market survey that could determine future businesses in downtow...
City council approves Madison Inn and Suites demolition
A: Main, Madison County Record, News, ...
Maria Rakoczy 
June 3, 2026
MADISON - The Madison City Council approved the demolition of Madison Inn & Suites located at 8716 Madison Boulevard at last week’s city council meeti...
“Parrots Block Party” coming to downtown Madison this Saturday
A: Main, Events, Madison County Record, ...
Gregg Parker 
June 3, 2026
MADISON – Get ready for a fun block party in downtown Madison this weekend. Rotary Club of Madison is bringing what promises to be an afternoon of lau...
Mayor Bartlett takes action to improve Madison Boulevard
Madison County Record, News, The Madison Recor, ...
MADISON WEEKLY
Gregg Parker 
June 3, 2026
MADISON – Question: When can destruction of free-standing (hopefully still standing) buildings represent a positive step for a city? Answer: When the ...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *