Madison Co School Dist, MS

Original Research by School Decision on Madison Co School Dist

Madison County School District is a large, multi-community district just outside Jackson, Mississippi, serving students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade across more than two dozen schools. The district stretches across several distinct towns and zip codes, and that geographic breadth shapes much of what families encounter here. Housing values vary widely depending on where you land within district boundaries. In the Madison area, homes run well above the state benchmark, while pockets near Canton, Lexington, and Jackson sit far below it. The district-weighted home value lands in a moderate range relative to the national figure, and rents follow a similar pattern, with the Madison area commanding the highest rents and Canton and Ridgeland offering more affordable options. For families considering the district, the practical question of which school zone you live in matters as much as the district itself.

The student body is large and reflects the county's shifting demographics. White and Black students each make up close to half of enrollment, with smaller Hispanic and Asian populations and a small share of multiracial students. The district operates a broad network of schools: multiple elementary campuses feeding into several middle schools, which in turn feed into four high schools, Madison Central, Germantown, Ridgeland, and Velma Jackson. There is also a vocational complex, an alternative school, and a dedicated preschool. This spread gives the district a range of feeder patterns, and families may want to ask how assignment works based on their address.

On state assessments, Madison County posts consistently strong results. In math, proficiency rates across grades three through eight sit in the low-to-mid seventies, with seventh grade the highest performer. In English language arts, results are more varied, with several grades in the high sixties to low seventies and a dip in seventh grade that stands out from the rest. Science proficiency in fifth and eighth grades is among the district's strongest showing. These are solid numbers for a Mississippi district, and the math and science results in particular suggest effective instruction in those areas. The seventh-grade ELA dip is the one soft spot a parent may want to look into further with the school, since it breaks from the pattern in the grades around it.

Some data the district does not report leaves gaps. Free and reduced-price lunch counts were not available, so the economic profile of the student body beyond what housing data suggests is hard to gauge. Special education and English learner rates were also missing, which limits the picture of how the district serves those populations. No participation rates were reported for state testing, though the tested counts themselves were substantial at each grade level. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible from this data to say whether performance is rising or falling over time. The district brief search turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as bond issues, rezoning, or curriculum shifts, so the district appears to be in a period of continuity rather than transition.

The housing market across the district has been roughly flat to slightly appreciating, with the Madison and Ridgeland areas seeing modest year-over-year gains while some outlying areas have softened. Mortgage costs currently run above rents in the district on a monthly basis, which may factor into decisions for families weighing buying versus renting. The district's size and breadth of schools mean that a family's experience can differ considerably depending on attendance zone. Madison County School District offers strong academic outcomes in core subjects, a wide selection of schools, and a diverse peer environment, with the main questions for families centering on which feeder pattern they will enter and how the district supports students in the areas where data was not reported.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

12,971

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 7%

Black 41%

White 45%

Asian 5%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

23 schools are officially reported under this district.

MADISON STATION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LUTHER BRANSON SCHOOL

VELMA JACKSON HIGH SCHOOL

HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY

OLD TOWN MIDDLE

MADISON CO. ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL

CAMDEN ELEMENTARY

SHIRLEY D. SIMMONS MIDDLE SCHOOL

EAST FLORA ELEMENTARY

MADISON AVENUE UPPER ELEMENTARY

ANN SMITH ELEMENTARY

MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL

MADISON CO VOC COMPLEX

MADISON AVENUE LOWER ELEMENTARY

MADISON CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

RIDGELAND HIGH SCHOOL

ROSA SCOTT SCHOOL

GERMANTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL

MADISON CROSSING ELEMENTARY

MADISON CO PRE SCHOOL

MANNSDALE ELEMENTARY

GERMANTOWN HIGH SCHOOL

MANNSDALE UPPER ELEMENTARY

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

74%

Grade 3

73%

Grade 4

68%

Grade 5

73%

Grade 6

77%

Grade 7

73%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

70%

Grade 3

70%

Grade 4

74%

Grade 5

67%

Grade 6

59%

Grade 7

62%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

77%

Grade 5

75%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$258,221

Year-over-year change+0.5%

Range across 10 ZIP codes$49K to $415K

vs. state typical1.33x

vs. national typical0.70x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (10 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
39046	Canton	$230K	-0.3%	25.9%
39071	Flora	$298K	+1.7%	20.6%
39110	Madison	$415K	+1.8%	11.8%
39146	Lexington	$117K	-2.6%	11.0%
39157	Ridgeland	$287K	+2.8%	5.7%
39051	Carthage	$163K	+3.5%	1.8%
39079	Goodman	$81K	-2.3%	1.4%
39209	Jackson	$49K	+2.1%	0.4%
39213	Jackson	$50K	+2.7%	0.2%
39041	Bolton	$141K	-2.0%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,696/mo

Year-over-year change+4.2%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$1,125 to $2,338/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
39046	Canton	$1,469	—	25.9%
39110	Madison	$2,338	+3.9%	11.8%
39157	Ridgeland	$1,428	+5.0%	5.7%
39213	Jackson	$1,125	—	0.2%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,303/mo

Home price / national median income3.1x

Annual rent / national median income24.3%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$393/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$194,242 (+1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.