More than 500 families are raising cattle in Madison County. More than 1,500 people grow tobacco. When you add in Christmas tree farmers and nursery owners, trout farmers and the growers of other livestock, the total annual gross income to the county comes close to $19 million. Agriculture is the traditional backbone of the economy in Madison County and reflects the heritage of the small family enterprise.

We come together as a community in many ways to share the gifts of our talents, our concerns, and our love.  The people of Madison County work together to build a stronger, healthier, safer community in many ways. 

As an example, a committed staff and volunteers in Mars Hill run Mountin' Hopes which offers therapeutic horseback riding to the people of Madison, Yancey, and  Buncombe counties and adjacent areas of Western North Carolina.  Saddling up a horse is an enjoyable experience for many people, and for an individual with a disability it can signify much more - hope.

Outdoor adventure is one of the best-loved pastimes in Madison County - whether it's experienced from the seat of a car touring scenic back roads, or from a crosstube of a whitewater raft.  More than 4500 hikers each year take in the beauty of the mountains firsthand from the trails along the ridgetops. Hikers on the Appalachian Trail walk the length of the county on their way from Georgia to Maine and pass right by the Post Office in Hot Springs.