Madison County, Idaho

Infobox U.S. County
county = Madison County
state = Idaho


founded year = 1913
founded date = February 18
seat wl = Rexburg
largest city wl = Rexburg
area_total_sq_mi = 473
area_total_km2 = 1226
area_land_sq_mi = 471
area_land_km2 = 1221
area_water_sq_mi = 2
area_water_km2 = 5
area percentage = 0.39%
census yr = 2000
pop = 27467
density_sq_mi =
density_km2 =
time zone =
UTC offset =
DST offset =
footnotes =
web = www.co.madison.id.us
named for = James Madison

Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 27,467 (2005 estimate: 30,975) [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/16/16065.html] . The county seat is RexburgGR|6. Madison County is part of the Rexburg, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area was originally settled by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Before January 1 1914, the county was part of neighbouring Fremont County. The newly established county was named for American president James Madison. BYU Idaho, formerly Ricks College (named after early local LDS settler Thomas Edwin Ricks) is located here. Madison County was declared a national disaster area after the Teton Dam flood of June 5, 1976.

Government and politics

Similar to other Idaho counties, an elected three-member county commission heads the county government. Other elected officials include clerk, treasurer, sheriff, assessor, coroner, and prosecutor. [ [http://www.co.madison.id.us/ Welcome to Madison County, Idaho] ]

With a strongly conservative and Mormon population, Madison County is one of the most staunchly Republican counties in the United States. Since 1980 no Republican presidential candidate has failed to carry the county with less than 59 percent of the vote. In that same period Republican presidential candidates polled more than 90 percent of the county's vote on two occasions, Ronald Reagan in 1984 [ [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/datagraph.php?year=1984&fips=16&f=0&off=0&elect=0 Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections] ] and George W. Bush in 2004. [ [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/datagraph.php?year=2004&fips=16&f=0&off=0&elect=0 Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections] ]

At the state level Madison County is located in Legislative District 34 [ [http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/about/07districtmap.pdf Idaho Legislative District Map] ] , which currently has an all-Republican delegation in the Idaho Legislature. [ [http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/about/district.cfm#d34 Idaho Legislative Districts] ]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 473 square miles (1,226 km²), of which, 472 square miles (1,221 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (5 km²) of it (0.39%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Fremont County, Idaho - north
* Teton County, Idaho - east
* Bonneville County, Idaho - south
* Jefferson County, Idaho - west

National protected area

* Targhee National Forest (part)

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 27,467 people, 7,129 households, and 4,854 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 7,630 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.50% White, 0.24% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. 3.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 30.6% were of English, 10.7% German, 10.2% American and 5.3% Danish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 7,129 households out of which 39.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.90% were non-families. 12.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.66 and the average family size was 3.70.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 39.90% from 18 to 24, 16.00% from 25 to 44, 11.90% from 45 to 64, and 6.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 90.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,607, and the median income for a family was $40,880. Males had a median income of $29,299 versus $18,628 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,956. About 10.10% of families and 30.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

* Rexburg
* Sugar City

References