Madison
Located in southern Madison County, the city of Madison is one of the fastest-growing and most prosperous cities in Mississippi. Figures from the 2000 U.S. Census place the city’s population at 14,691 and rank Madison at the top of all major socioeconomic categories compared to other Mississippi cities. Madison was also ranked as the state’s safest city in a 2001 comparison of the 31 cities with a population of 10,000 or more who reported their felony crime statistics to the FBI.
Maintaining the city’s upscale Southern charm has been a priority for city government. And Madison’s strict oversight of architecture, landscaping, and construction has attracted the attention of like-minded cities around the country. Visitors are often surprised to see gas-station facades inspired by the architecture of Southern Italy, chain drug stores crowned with copper cupolas, and stylish fast-food restaurants with restrained and tasteful signage. Even the city’s I-55 overpass is paved with red brick.
Clearly, the city’s careful planning has paid off. Madison residency has climbed dramatically, and the city has successfully maintained property values, despite declining real estate prices on the national level. The city has also attracted significant commercial development. The Swedish forestry products company, Haglof, Inc., is just one such example: In 1997, initial talks with the company inspired Madison to develop a sister-city relationship with the company’s hometown, Sollefteä, Sweden, which ultimately paved the way for Madison to become the South Central U.S. home of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to excellent dining and one-of-a-kind retail establishments, Madison residents enjoy unique cultural and educational opportunities. The Madison County Cultural Center is home to the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet Company. The Center also offers classes in all art forms, sponsors a performing arts series, and provides incubator studio space for artists. And, in 2010, Tulane University selected Madison for the new location of a satellite campus of its School of Continuing Studies.
Madison’s reputation for excellent schools, good jobs, and fine living has gained national prominence in recent years. In 2005, CNN/Money Magazine listed Madison as the 56th best place to live in the United States. In 2007, the city was named as one of the nation’s “10 Best Towns for Families” by Family Circlemagazine. And in 2008, Madison was designated one of the “Top 100 Places To Live” by Relocate America.
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