Madison Named Indiana Community of the Year

City officials will receive the honor at the Indiana Chamber’s 35th Annual Awards Program.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has selected Madison as its 2024 NextEra Energy Resources Community of the Year.

A five-person Indiana Chamber panel selected Madison after a thorough review of all cities under consideration. Those nominations came from the communities themselves or through individuals recognizing an area’s progress and commitment to its businesses and citizens.

Earlier in 2024, Madison, located in Jefferson County, also earned the distinction as the No. 1 Small Town in the Midwest by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Additionally, Main Street America this year announced that the Main Street Program in Madison won the prestigious Great American Main Street Award, which recognizes communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. 

According to the Indiana Chamber, Madison is enjoying an ongoing housing and business sector expansion, a revitalized downtown and a growing list of events that keep the city bustling year-round.

“Madison is a true southern gateway for the state of Indiana and is fast becoming a regional hub for business, in addition to being an established epicenter for recreational and leisure activities,” offers Indiana Chamber President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders. “What’s happening in Madison is a credit to the public and corporate leadership there and is a feather in the cap of the entire state. It’s an honor to put a spotlight on the tremendous progress they’re making with this award.”

“Madison has really boomed the last decade. If you haven’t been here in a while, you would be amazed at the transformation … and we want to tell people all about it,” said Andrew Forrester, Visit Madison executive director.

 Some of the things Forrester wants to share include the vibrant and growing music scene in Madison as well as the flourishing arts community. He also points to the city’s riverfront attractions, including jet boat tours, and the Fairfield Inn & Suites at the Historic Eagle Cotton Mill, which was recently rated the No. 1 Fairfield Inn in the U.S. Located in a cotton mill abandoned more than three decades ago, it has 85 hotel rooms plus meeting and convention space.

City officials will receive the Community of the Year honor at the Indiana Chamber’s 35th Annual Awards Program on November 13 at the Indiana Convention Center.

The most recent Indiana Chamber Community of the Year recipients are Boone County, 2023; Columbus, 2022; Greater Lafayette, 2021; Fort Wayne, 2020; Plymouth, 2019 and Jasper, 2018.