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Madison, Georgia

What It Is Like to Retire in Madison

Madison is a small town in a lake district of about 4,000 about an hour east of Atlanta and just 26 miles from Athens, home of the University of Georgia. Madison is a popular place for all kinds of people to live in, it has a more cosmopolitan feel than most small towns in Georgia. Madison's new residents tend to rave about its charm, restaurants, antebellum homes, nice downtown, and proximity to Lake Oconee. The downtown is very charming with many interesting shops. Photo of Morgan County Courthouse built in 1905, courtesy of Wikipedia and Calvin Beale (public domain).

Where to Retire in Madison and Home Prices

Madison often gets mentioned in the same breath with Milledgeville and Lake Oconee, 2 other hot spots in the Atlanta area.
Home prices vary tremendously by size and neighborhood. Homes can sell for less than $100,000, yet others are in the hundreds of thousands, even going over a million for some of the ornate Victorian and ante-bellum homes available. The median home value was $366,600 in 2023, as reported by Zillow, and higher than the national Index.

What Is Special about Madison

Holiday Travel magazine's naming Madison "The Prettiest Small Town in America" because of its 100 antebellum homes that "Sherman refused to burn". People like the small town feel of Madison and its proximity to both Atlanta and Athens (U. of Georgia), just 26 miles away.

What Is Not Special about Madison

It's a small town and prices are higher than in some surrounding (but not as nice) towns.

Who Will Like Retirement in Madison

People who like charming small towns and being near a lake.

Local Economy Is Driven by

Tourism and retirees.

Climate and Physical Environment

Madison is east of Atlanta near Lake Oconee. The average July high temperature is 91 and the average January low is 32. The wettest month is March.

Restaurants & Cultural Scene

As a tourist town Madison has numerous restaurants, art galleries and museums. Those include the Madison Museum of Fine Arts and The Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum. A microcar has an engine less than 300ccs.