Independent Living in Madison, AL: Costs and Options

In Madison, AL, the median age is 37.3. Independent living here runs from 55+ apartments with income limits to campuses that list meals and housekeeping. The Madison Village lists apartments from $1,900 a month. Merrill Gardens at Madison lists a starting price of $2,995 without naming the care type. Stoneridge Villas, whose first phase opened in September 2019, lists a two-bedroom at $1,342 to $1,454.

Independent living in Madison, AL. AI interpretation of Madison, AL, with approximate buildings and layout
Last Updated: October 2026
7-minute read| Author: Seth Burney
Published: October 2026
7-minute read | Author: Seth Burney | Date Published: October 2026 | Last Updated: October 2026

Key Takeaways

A bus with a wheelchair ramp, for getting around Madison, AL, part of our independent living guide
The City's Senior Center bus picks up Madison, AL, residents on weekday mornings between 8 and 9 a.m.
A market stand, for independent living rents in Madison, AL
The Madison Village lists independent living from $1,900 a month and assisted living from $3,950, on one campus.
A bookshelf, for 55+ apartments in Madison, AL, part of our independent living guide
Stoneridge Villas specializes in affordable apartments, serving adults 55 and older. It lists a two-bedroom at $1,342 to $1,454 (checked Oct. 20, 2026).
Armchairs around a table, for independent living in Madison, AL
Monark Grove Madison pairs 17 independent living floor plans with a memory care license on one campus.

Posted Rents and What Comes With Them in Madison, AL

Chart of posted starting rents in Madison, AL: The Madison Village from $1,900 a month, Merrill Gardens at Madison starting at $2,995 with the care type not named, and a Stoneridge Villas two-bedroom from $1,342, part of our independent living guide

Three of these four communities post a starting price. Each one lists something different with it.

The lists run from the apartment alone to a set of services. At Stoneridge Villas, residents pay their own gas, electric and cable. Merrill Gardens at Madison says its monthly rent includes access to dining, weekly housekeeping and transportation options. Monark Grove Madison lists utilities, housekeeping and linen service. It says some apartment features vary by apartment and service level.

Campuses With Services and 55+ Apartments in Madison, AL

In Madison, AL, independent living includes communities with services and a 55+ apartment community with income limits. None of them lists daily personal care in its rent.

The Madison Village, on Wall Triana Highway, sits on 10 acres near Madison Hospital. A nonprofit holds the license for its assisted living. You can rent a studio, a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom. Its apartments have stainless-steel kitchen appliances and a washer and dryer. The community lists restaurant-style dining, weekly housekeeping and linen service, and courtesy rides. It also has a fitness center, a garden and walking trails. Its list also has cable TV, wireless internet and utilities, plus an emergency generator on site.

What each Madison, AL, independent living community lists with its rent: Merrill Gardens at Madison, dining, housekeeping and transportation; Monark Grove Madison, utilities, housekeeping and linens; Stoneridge Villas, residents pay gas, electric and cable; The Madison Village, month-to-month rent with no endowment fee

Merrill Gardens at Madison, on Brookridge Drive, rents studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Each one has its own climate control and an emergency response system. The rent includes access to restaurant-style dining through what it calls Anytime Dining. The building has a theater, a library, a bistro and a courtyard. Pets are welcome. A family-owned company runs it.

Monark Grove Madison, on County Line Road, specializes in independent living and memory care on one campus. It has 17 independent living floor plans, from a 428-square-foot studio to a 1,078-square-foot two-bedroom. Apartments have 9-foot ceilings, a washer and dryer and a patio or balcony where available. Outside, there's a pool with water aerobics, pickleball and bocce courts and a children's play zone. You can get physical, occupational and speech therapy on site.

Stoneridge Villas, on Balch Road, specializes in affordable apartments, serving adults 55 and older. It has 145 apartments on 21.7 acres. Its second phase, 65 apartments finished in 2022, was built with federal low-income housing tax credits. Every home has a washer and dryer. Residents share a clubhouse, a fitness center and a walking trail. Meals and personal care aren't among its listed features.

Independent Living in Madison, AL

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Independent Living in Madison, AL

  • Merrill Gardens at Madison, 121 Brookridge Drive. Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments with dining, housekeeping and rides. Also on site: Assisted living and memory care.
  • Monark Grove Madison, 11260 County Line Road. 17 floor plans, studios to two-bedrooms, with utilities and housekeeping. Also on site: Memory care.
  • The Madison Village, 6016 Wall Triana Highway. Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments on a 10-acre campus. Also on site: Assisted living and respite care.
  • Stoneridge Villas, 1700 Balch Road. 145 apartments for adults 55 and older. Rent: Two-bedroom, $1,342 to $1,454.

Leases, 55+ Rules and the Next Level of Care in Madison, AL

A bookshelf, for leases and 55+ rules in Madison, AL, part of our independent living guide

Reading the lease. The Madison Village rents month to month. It has a one-time application fee and no endowment fee. It lists a 30-day clause that lets residents leave with no financial penalty, so ask how the 30 days are counted. At Stoneridge Villas, every applicant goes through credit, criminal and landlord background checks.

What makes a place 55+. Under federal fair housing rules, housing that qualifies as 55+ must, among other things, publish and follow policies showing it's run for people 55 and older. Its ads, its lease and its written rules all count. A community may also set an age rule for homes where no one is 55 or older. Stoneridge Villas calls itself an affordable apartment community for adults 55 and over.

No state category for it. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) licenses assisted living and specialty care assisted living. The second is the license used for memory care. Its list of facility types has no independent living category.

What's next door. Monark Grove Madison specializes in independent living and dedicated memory care, so the next step on its campus is memory care, under Alabama's specialty care license. At Merrill Gardens at Madison and The Madison Village, the apartments share a site with a licensed assisted living community. The city's five assisted living licenses are in the assisted living guide for Madison, AL.

Questions to ask on a Madison, AL, tour:

  • At The Madison Village, does the 30-day clause count from move-in or from notice?
  • Merrill Gardens at Madison's $2,995 starting price doesn't name a care type. Which apartment and services does it buy?
  • At Stoneridge Villas, does the income limit apply in both phases?
  • Which services are in the rent here, and which cost extra?
  • Can the Senior Center bus or a MARS ride pick up at this address?

Income Limits, HUD Housing and Medicare in Madison, AL

Stoneridge Villas' second phase was built for seniors who earn 60 percent or less of the area median income. That's the middle income for the area. Its developer's 2023 announcement put that at roughly $41,220 for a one-person household in Huntsville.

HUD's list of assisted multifamily housing shows one property in Madison, AL: Dublin Village, on West Dublin Drive. It's senior housing with 58 apartments under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 202 program.

If you need help at home later, the assisted living guide lists a home care agency with an office in Madison, AL.

Rides and Weekday Classes in Madison, AL

  • The Senior Center bus. City residents can ride to the Madison Senior Center on weekdays. Pickups run from 8 to 9 a.m. Rides home leave at 12:30 or 2:30 p.m. You tell the City whether you walk, use a cane or walker, or ride in a wheelchair. A personal care attendant can come along. They stay for the whole visit.
  • MARS rides. The Madison Assisted Ride System is the City's ride service for residents inside the city limits who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rides are for medical and work trips. The application needs your doctor's signature.
  • Rides at the communities. The Madison Village lists courtesy local rides. Merrill Gardens at Madison lists transportation options, and Monark Grove Madison lists chauffeured transportation.
  • Huntsville's buses. Huntsville runs Orbit buses and Access, a door-to-door paratransit service for riders with disabilities and some riders over 65. Access needs an application and a reservation by 5 p.m. the day before.
  • Classes at the Senior Center. The October 2026 program guide lists balance classes, chair yoga and line dancing, plus a grief support group led by Huntsville Hospital Hospice Family Care.
  • A night at the ballpark. Toyota Field, in the Town Madison district, is home to the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
Riding the Madison Senior Center bus: for city residents, weekday pickups between 8 and 9 a.m., rides home at 12:30 or 2:30 p.m., and a personal care attendant can come along, part of our guide to independent living in Madison, AL

Frequently Asked Questions

Stoneridge Villas, a 55+ apartment community with income limits in Madison, AL, lists a two-bedroom at $1,342 to $1,454. Merrill Gardens at Madison lists a $2,995 starting price but doesn't name the care type. The Madison Village lists apartments from $1,900 a month. Monark Grove Madison doesn't post a rent.

None of the rent. In Madison, AL, TARCOG's State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselors can go over what a Medicare plan does pay for. TARCOG is the area agency on aging for Madison and Limestone counties.

Stoneridge Villas, at 1700 Balch Road, is a 55+ apartment community with 145 homes on 21.7 acres. Its first phase opened in September 2019. Its second phase, 65 apartments finished in 2022, was built with low-income housing tax credits. That phase is for seniors with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median.

The Madison Village answers that on one campus. By its own listed prices, it's $1,900 a month for independent living and $3,950 for assisted living. Across the Huntsville area, CareScout's 2025 assisted living median was $6,023 a month. Assisted living adds daily personal care.

The Alabama Department of Public Health lists no independent living category among the facility types it describes. It does license assisted living and specialty care assisted living. In Madison, AL, Monark Grove Madison specializes in independent living and dedicated memory care, and its memory care holds the specialty care license.

The Madison Assisted Ride System is for residents inside the city limits who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It covers medical and work trips. The application needs a doctor's information and signature. For trips to the Madison Senior Center, the City also runs a weekday Senior Center bus.

Sources

Checked Oct. 20, 2026.

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