Huntsville vs Madison: 58 vs 69.5 mills, two school districts, Zillow home values, Census income and commute, and who provides city services.
Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the Madison County Tax Collector’s tax levy information and Tax Assessor’s property tax facts; the Alabama State Department of Education’s state report card for 2025; Zillow Research city values for September 2026; the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates (QuickFacts for Huntsville and Madison); and the City of Huntsville and City of Madison websites.
Madison is Huntsville’s only neighboring city of more than 5,000 people within 15 miles on the Census Bureau’s place list; Meridianville, about 13 miles north, is unincorporated. Madison sits about five miles west of Huntsville, and the two cities share Madison County, Limestone County, the county tax collector and several ZIP codes. They differ on the tax rate, the school district and who picks up the garbage. Every figure below is from the official source named, the same year for both cities.
Who to call
- City of Huntsville: Mayor’s Office, 256-427-5000, City Hall, 305 Fountain Circle; police non-emergency, 256-722-7100
- City of Madison: City Hall, 256-772-5600, 100 Hughes Road; police non-emergency, 256-772-7190
- Property tax bills, Madison County side: Madison County Tax Collector, 256-532-3370
Property taxes
Both cities’ rates are on the Madison County Tax Collector’s levy page. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. These are the rates on the Madison County side; both cities also reach into Limestone County, where the Limestone County Revenue Commission sets out the rates.
| Levy | Huntsville | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| State (general, soldier, school) | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| County general and road and bridge | 11.0 | 11.0 |
| Countywide school tax | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| County school and special school taxes | 0 | 10.5 |
| City general tax (Madison: general 7.0, water and sewer 5.5, library 0.5) | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| City school taxes | 22.0 | 23.0 |
| Total | 58.0 | 69.5 |
For comparison, Madison County land outside any city carries 36.5 mills with buildings.
Total rate inside each city
How it works out. Alabama taxes an owner-occupied home at 10% of its appraised value, the county Tax Assessor explains. For a home appraised at $300,000, the assessed value is $30,000. At 58 mills that is $1,740 a year in Huntsville; at 69.5 mills it is $2,085 in Madison, before exemptions.
Homestead exemptions are the county’s, the same in both cities: the basic H-1 exemption takes $4,000 of assessed value off the state tax and $2,000 off the county tax, and owners 65 or older or disabled can claim more. Neither city publishes an exemption of its own. More in our property taxes guide.
Schools
Each city has its own district; in Huntsville’s address data the district follows city limits. Scores are the overall 2025 state report card scores for the 2024-25 school year.
| Huntsville City Schools | Madison City Schools | |
|---|---|---|
| District score, 2025 | 89 (B) | 95 (A) |
| Students on the state report card | 22,776 | 12,737 |
| Schools | 44 | 12 |
| Zoned high schools | 5 | 2 |
High schools, 2025 scores:
| City | High school | 2025 score (grade) |
|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | Huntsville High | 90 (A) |
| Huntsville | Lee High | 83 (B) |
| Huntsville | Virgil I. Grissom High | 77 (C) |
| Huntsville | Columbia High | 71 (C) |
| Huntsville | Jemison High | 69 (D) |
| Huntsville | New Century Technology High (magnet, not zoned) | 98 (A) |
| Madison | James Clemens High | 88 (B) |
| Madison | Bob Jones High | 86 (B) |
Which Huntsville high school a home is zoned for depends on the area; see our neighborhoods guide and schools guide.
Home values
| Huntsville | Madison | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $286,952 | $376,486 |
| Change from September 2025 | +1.4% | +0.9% |
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price.
Typical home value in each city
Values inside Huntsville vary widely by area, from $150,455 in ZIP 35805 to $444,412 in 35763; see our home prices guide.
People, income and commute
From the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates:
| Huntsville | Madison | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 222,791 | 60,106 |
| Median household income | $74,714 | $134,655 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $293,600 | $398,800 |
| Homes that are owner-occupied | 58.3% | 74.0% |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.7 minutes | 20.2 minutes |
These are survey estimates with margins of error; see QuickFacts for Huntsville and Madison.
City services
| Service | Huntsville | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Police | Huntsville Police Department | Madison Police Department |
| Fire | Huntsville Fire & Rescue | Madison Fire and Rescue |
| Household garbage | City of Huntsville, weekly (schedule) | Madison County Waste Control, weekly (city page) |
| Yard debris and large items | City of Huntsville | Republic Services, under a city contract |
| Curbside recycling | Recycling Alliance of North Alabama, monthly, sign-up required | Recycling Alliance of North Alabama, monthly |
| Water | Huntsville Utilities | Madison Utilities |
| Schools | Huntsville City Schools | Madison City Schools |
More in our trash and recycling guide and who to call at City Hall.
How to check an address
City limits and ZIP codes do not line up here: thousands of homes inside Huntsville have a “Madison, AL” mailing address, and some “Huntsville, AL” addresses are outside both cities.
- Which city a parcel is in: the Madison County property search, or for the Limestone County side, the Limestone County Revenue Commission.
- Which school it is zoned for: Huntsville’s School Zone Locator, or the zone lookup on Madison City Schools’ enrollment page.
- What the tax bill would be: the Madison County Tax Assessor’s estimate page.
Our neighborhoods guide covers Huntsville area by area.
Frequently asked questions
Are property taxes higher in Madison or Huntsville?
Madison’s. On the Madison County side the total rate is 69.5 mills inside the city of Madison and 58 mills inside Huntsville, according to the Madison County Tax Collector. Most of the gap is school taxes.
Is Madison part of Huntsville?
No. Madison is a separate city about five miles west of Huntsville, with its own City Council, police, fire department and school district, Madison City Schools. The two share Madison County and some ZIP codes.
Which school district is rated higher, Huntsville or Madison?
On the 2025 state report card, Madison City Schools scored 95, an A, and Huntsville City Schools 89, a B. Scores for individual schools vary more than that within each district.
What is the typical home value in Madison compared with Huntsville?
The Zillow Home Value Index was $376,486 for Madison and $286,952 for Huntsville in September 2026. These are modeled typical values for the middle third of homes, not sale prices.
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