Regional Profile

The Madison, Wis., region is a great place to work, to live, to learn and to play. And, we're not the only ones that think so.

No. 1 for Job Growth
Madison has earned distinctions such as No. 1 for job growth as well as being named among the "best educated" and most "innovative" cities in the nation. This kind of workforce and population is a real catalyst for business success.

Talent: the Madison Catalyst [9.4 MB PDF]

Data Dashboard

Learn more about the economic performance of the Madison area compared to peer regions through the Data Dashboard provided by the Madison Regional Economic Partnership.

Demographics

The Greater Madison region has a population of 576,467 and a labor force of 345,024 that is not only highly educated, but also younger and growing faster than the national averages:

• The Madison area has a median age of 34.1 versus the national median age of 36.8.
• Since 2000, population has grown 14.9% in the Madison area versus 10.7% in the United States. Over the last five years, the labor force has grown 2.7% in the Madison area versus 1.4% in the United States.

(Sources: STATS America 2011 and Sperling's Best Places 2012)

Colleges and universities

If ideas, innovation and insight are the currency of your business, then Madison's education network and labor force are what you need. Anchored in large part by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the nation's leading research universities, Madison is in close proximity to private and technical colleges including Edgewood, ITT, Upper Iowa University and Madison College (formerly Madison Area Technical College).

• The University of Wisconsin-Madison is 1st (tied with Harvard) in number of graduates who are CEOs of S&P 500 Index Companies.
• UW-Madison's intellectual property portfolio is sixth among the world's universities in patents obtained for new technologies.

Quality of life

Every year, the Madison region ranks as one of the best places to live in America:

• Five area lakes and more than 260 parks are gateways to outdoor recreation.
• The Overture Center is a mecca of culture, featuring theaters and the art galleries of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.
• Favorite natural attractions include the UW Arboretum's acres of biological diversity and the flowers and fauna of the Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
• Foodies declare Madison to be one of the best US cities for farm-to-table dining and local food scenes.

Transportation

Thanks to the expansive transportation network in the Madison region, businesses have quick and convenient access to other major markets, which makes shipping and receiving materials more convenient and cost effective.

Major employers

Madison is attractive to progressive, highly educated people, which makes it attractive to businesses who want to hire high-caliber people. Major employers in the region include:

Taxes

When it comes to supporting business, Wisconsin is as smart about taxes and incentives as Madison is about education. The favorable tax climate makes it easy to do business in the state and in the Madison region.

Utilities

There are plenty of reliable utility providers available to businesses in the Madison area. Gas and electric service is provided by Madison Gas and Electric, which offers competitive rates and business development assistance. Water and sewer service is provided by a number of municipal providers, and telecommunications service is provided by ATT, CenturyTel, TDS Metrocom and Verizon.

Regional developments

The Madison area is thriving as more developers and businesses realize the region's potential. New developments and expansions are bolstering the business climate and benefiting other businesses that wish to start, expand or relocate to the region. Read about recent developments and expansions. For more information on the Madison area, please contact us.

Accolades