The Town Files

Madison, Pennsylvania

Township in Lackawanna County · population 2,469 (2020 Census)

Map: where Madison is in PennsylvaniaMadison
Median home
$247,800
Household income
$79,769
Jan low / Jul high
20° / 85°
Snow a year
46 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
8
Median age
51.6

Madison is a township of 2,469 people in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $247,800, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for a vacation home than 96% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 86% of Pennsylvania towns, quieter than 73% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Madison ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Madison lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement38th pctFamilies86th pctQuiet73rd pctWalkability6th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals19th pctVibrancy33rd pctHip & trendy14th pctCollege town23rd pctUpscale65th pctVacation homes96th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit64th pctDriving31st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Madison is worth $247,800, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $79,769, which is more affordable than 39% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $910 a month. 91.6% of households own their home.

Madison vs Lackawanna County vs typical Pennsylvania townMadisonLackawanna CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$247,800$201,800$214,250Household income$79,769$66,223$75,278Monthly rent$910$1,007$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingMadisonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$247,800$214,250
Median rent$910$996
Median household income$79,769$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership91.6%81.5%
Median year built19851971
Seasonal / vacation homes3.5%—

Who lives in Madison

PeopleMadisonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age51.644.2
Age 65 and over19.0%21.1%
Under 1816.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher22.4%23.8%
Below the poverty line7.3%8.5%
Veterans5.4%—
Born outside the U.S.1.3%—
Work from home4.3%10.6%
Average commute23.2 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband90.9%89.0%

Weather in Madison

July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 20.3°F. About 38.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.8 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 122 nights at or below freezing.

Madison monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing36°20°Jan39°22°Feb48°29°Mar61°39°Apr72°50°May80°58°Jun85°63°Jul82°61°Aug75°54°Sep63°43°Oct51°34°Nov40°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.612.22.111.72.89.83.30.93.33.83.63.94.23.70.42.92.52.88.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Wilkes-Barre Intl Ap station (13.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Madison since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on February 25, 2017 about 8.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 15, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Madison by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s41990s02000s42010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 21 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 24, 1985.

Severe weather in Lackawanna County since 1996

Storm events in Lackawanna County since 1996 by typeHail62Flood14Drought5Tornado10High Wind18Lightning16Heavy Snow50Flash Flood85
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lackawanna County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Lackawanna County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
November 27, 2018Severe StormDR-4408: Severe Storms And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 12, 2011FloodDR-4030: Tropical Storm Lee

Jobs and pay in Lackawanna County

Lackawanna County had 98,108 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,720 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Madison itself the ACS puts it at 5.2%.

Largest industries in Lackawanna CountyHealth care & social assistan…20,267 jobs · $56,517Retail11,259 jobs · $34,443Manufacturing10,209 jobs · $64,929Hotels & restaurants8,148 jobs · $21,721Transportation & warehousing7,189 jobs · $49,052Administrative & support4,633 jobs · $43,065
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lackawanna County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Lackawanna 3.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Madison

Madison questions

Is Madison, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Madison scores better for retirees than 38% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 73%. 19.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.6).

How much does a house cost in Madison?

The median owner-occupied home in Madison is valued at $247,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,769, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $910 a month.

What is the weather like in Madison?

July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 20.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.7 inches of precipitation a year and 45.8 inches of snow.

Does Madison get tornadoes?

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Madison since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on February 25, 2017. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Madison's Census boundary (GEOID 4206946480). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.