Madison, Huntsville and Athens side by side: 2025 millage, state report card scores, Zillow home values, Census income and commute times.
Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the Alabama Department of Revenue’s 2025 millage table (PDF); the Alabama State Department of Education’s state report card for 2025; Zillow Research; the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey (QuickFacts); and the three cities’ websites.
Huntsville and Athens are the two cities of more than 5,000 people closest to Madison: Huntsville about 5 miles from the middle of Madison and Athens about 12. All three run their own school systems, police and fire departments, and all three reach into Limestone County. This page sets the official figures side by side, one table per topic, with the same year for every city. It does not rank the cities.
The short version
- Property tax, 2025 tax year: 40.0 mills in Athens, 58.0 to 60.5 in Huntsville and 69.5 to 72.0 in Madison, depending on the county side.
- School systems, 2025 report card: Madison City 95, Huntsville City 88, Athens City 88.
- Typical home value, September 2026: $286,952 in Huntsville to $376,486 in Madison.
Property taxes
All rates come from the state’s October 2025 millage table for the 2025 tax year. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. Madison and Huntsville each lie in both Madison County and Limestone County, so each has two rates; Athens is entirely in Limestone County.
| Levy | Madison (Madison Co.) | Madison (Limestone Co.) | Huntsville (Madison Co.) | Huntsville (Limestone Co.) | Athens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| County | 11.0 | 13.5 | 11.0 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
| County and district school | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 10.0 |
| City (including city school tax) | 46.5 | 46.5 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 10.0 |
| Total | 69.5 | 72.0 | 58.0 | 60.5 | 40.0 |
Of the city levies, the table marks 33.5 mills in Madison and 22.0 in Huntsville as education taxes for the city school systems. Madison County adds 3.0 mills for fire protection only on improvements outside cities, so it does not apply inside any of the three.
Total rate in each city
How it works out. Alabama assesses an owner-occupied home at 10% of its appraised value, according to the Department of Revenue. A home appraised at $300,000 is assessed at $30,000. Before exemptions that is $1,200 a year in Athens, $1,740 in the Madison County part of Huntsville, $2,085 in the Madison County part of Madison and $2,160 in the Limestone County part of Madison.
Homestead exemptions are the state’s and the counties’: up to $4,000 of assessed value off state taxes and up to $2,000 off county taxes for an owner-occupant under 65, with larger exemptions for owners 65 and older or disabled, according to the state’s homestead page. They apply the same way in all three cities. More in our property taxes guide.
Schools
Scores are the overall 2025 state report card scores for the 2024-25 school year.
| City | School system, 2025 score | High school | High school 2025 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | Madison City, 95 | Bob Jones High | 86 |
| Madison | Madison City (same system) | James Clemens High | 88 |
| Huntsville | Huntsville City, 88 | Huntsville High | 90 |
| Huntsville | Huntsville City (same system) | Grissom High | 77 |
| Huntsville | Huntsville City (same system) | Columbia High | 71 |
| Huntsville | Huntsville City (same system) | Jemison High | 68 |
| Huntsville | Huntsville City (same system) | Lee High (magnet) | 82 |
| Huntsville | Huntsville City (same system) | New Century Technology High (magnet) | 98 |
| Athens | Athens City, 88 | Athens High | 84 |
Which Madison high school a home is zoned for depends on the area; see our neighborhoods guide and schools guide.
Home values
| Measure | Madison | Huntsville | Athens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $376,486 | $286,952 | $308,273 |
| Change from September 2025 | +0.9% | +1.4% | +0.9% |
Source: Zillow Home Value Index city files, a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price.
Typical home value in each city
Inside Madison, ZIP 35758 was $376,539 and ZIP 35756, on the Limestone County side, $388,014; see our home prices guide.
People, income and commute
From the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates:
| Measure | Madison | Huntsville | Athens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,106 | 222,791 | 29,002 |
| Median household income | $134,655 | $74,714 | $69,922 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $398,800 | $293,600 | $270,000 |
| Homes that are owner-occupied | 74.0% | 58.3% | 64.0% |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.2 minutes | 19.7 minutes | 24.6 minutes |
These are survey estimates with margins of error; see QuickFacts for Madison, Huntsville and Athens.
City services
| Service | Madison | Huntsville | Athens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police | Madison Police Department | Huntsville Police Department | Athens Police Department (city website) |
| Fire | Madison Fire and Rescue | Huntsville Fire & Rescue | Athens fire department (city website) |
| Household trash | Madison County Sanitation, every Thursday (city page) | City Sanitation Office, weekly curbside (city page) | City Sanitation Services, carts, recycling and weekly bulk pickup (city page) |
| Schools | Madison City Schools | Huntsville City Schools | Athens City Schools |
More in our trash and recycling guide and who to call at City Hall.
How to check an address
Mailing names and ZIP codes do not follow city lines here. Madison and Huntsville share a “checkerboard” boundary, Madison’s comprehensive plan says, and both cities reach into Limestone County.
- Which city a parcel is in: the Madison County property search or the Limestone County Revenue Commission.
- Which Madison school it is zoned for: the Madison City Schools School Zone Locator, or the Central Office, 256-464-8370. For Huntsville or Athens, ask that city’s school system.
- What the tax bill would be: the Madison County Tax Assessor’s estimate page, or multiply the assessed value (10% of appraised value for an owner-occupied home) by the total millage above, then take off any exemptions.
Frequently asked questions
Are property taxes higher in Madison or Huntsville?
Madison. The state’s 2025 millage table puts the total at 69.5 mills in Madison and 58.0 in Huntsville on the Madison County side, and 72.0 and 60.5 on the Limestone County side. Athens is 40.0.
How do Madison, Huntsville and Athens schools compare on the state report card?
On the 2025 state report card, Madison City Schools scored 95, Huntsville City Schools 88 and Athens City Schools 88. Madison’s two high schools scored 86 and 88; Huntsville’s ranged from 68 to 98 and Athens High scored 84.
What is the typical home value in Madison compared with Huntsville and Athens?
In September 2026 the Zillow Home Value Index was $376,486 in Madison, $286,952 in Huntsville and $308,273 in Athens.
Do Madison, Huntsville and Athens have their own school systems?
Yes. Each city runs its own school system, separate from the Madison County and Limestone County systems.
Who picks up trash in Madison, Huntsville and Athens?
In Madison, Madison County Sanitation collects household garbage every Thursday, the city says. Huntsville and Athens collect it with their own city sanitation crews, according to each city’s website.
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