City · Marion County, Ohio

Marion, Ohio

Marion is a city in Marion County, Ohio, part of the Marion, OH metro area. It has 35,669 residents. Marion, Ohio has a quality-of-life score of 14 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,451 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Ohio it ranks #668 of 684 cities and towns. It ranks best on distance to an emergency room (low), drinking water violations (low) and drought exposure (low). It ranks worst on child care cost burden (high), public libraries (low) and drug overdose deaths (high).

14Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,451 of 15,651 cities and towns
Ohio: #668 of 684 in OH
Population: 35,669 (2020-2024)
Land area: 13 mi²
Density: 2,751.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 3947754

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety38#9,726/15,637
Economy2#15,289/15,631
Housing64#5,345/14,977
Health6#14,742/15,609
Healthcare47#8,254/15,650
Environment62#5,877/15,453
Education2#15,290/15,649
Infrastructure31#10,833/15,650
Community11#13,882/15,651
Leisure & amenities12#13,795/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Marion, Ohio ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Marion County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Distance to an emergency room · low3.4 mi
87/100Ohio 5.1 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMarion County value
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Ohio 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Drought exposure · low6%
85/100Ohio 11%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAMarion County value
Mammography screening · high52.0%
81/100Ohio 49.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Natural hazard risk · low11.9
81/100Ohio 14.52025Federal Emergency Management AgencyMarion County value
Average commute time · low21.0 min
81/100Ohio 23.4 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high49.7%
1/100Ohio 31.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
2/100Ohio 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMarion County value
Drug overdose deaths · high38.5 /100k
4/100Ohio 18.9 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMarion County value
Adult obesity · high45.4%
4/100Ohio 39.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Math scores · low2.53
5/100Ohio 2.98United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Child poverty rate · high29.3%
6/100Ohio 16.4%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
0.2 /1k (2021) → 0.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+46%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
77.2% (2015-2019) → 86.3% (2020-2024)
+9.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.0× (2015-2019) → 2.5× (2020-2024)
+28%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Median household incomeImproving
$38,221 (2015-2019) → $47,951 (2020-2024)
+25%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateWorsening
20.4% (2015-2019) → 22.4% (2020-2024)
+2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
85.2% (2015-2019) → 86.5% (2020-2024)
+1.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Marion, Ohio improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 10 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+9.1 points77.2% → 86.3%
Household income+25%$38,221 → $47,951

Declined1

Price / income+0.5×2.0× → 2.5×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Marion, Ohio between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.4 min2015-2019	21.0 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Within the margin of error	40%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.9%2015-2019	10.5%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Broadband subscriptions	77.2%2015-2019	86.3%2020-2024	+9.1 points	Improved	55%
Child poverty rate	28.7%2015-2019	29.3%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Effective property tax rate	1.18%2015-2019	0.99%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	57%
High school diploma or higher	85.2%2015-2019	86.5%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	45%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4382015-2019	0.4362020-2024	−0.002	Within the margin of error	52%
Median household income	$38,2212015-2019	$47,9512020-2024	+25%	Improved	45%
Poverty rate	20.4%2015-2019	22.4%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Rent as share of income	31.0%2015-2019	30.6%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Rent-burdened households	52.1%2015-2019	51.1%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Unemployment rate	9.2%2015-2019	9.4%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.4%2015-2019	7.8%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	54%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Marion, Ohio five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Marion, Ohio in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Marion, Ohio itself moved −0.5 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

35,669 residents (±104)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

12,445 households (±467)

Marion, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $25k27%3,363
$25k–50k26%3,180
$50k–75k17%2,176

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

12,445 households (±467)

Marion, Ohio
Ohio share

Own57%7,116
Rent43%5,329

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

13,028 workers (±700)

Marion, Ohio
Ohio share

Drive alone79%10,351
Carpool12%1,580
Public transit1.2%†161

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Marion, OH

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Marion County, the county holding most of Marion's residents.

Marion County has 1,051 employer establishments, 162 for every 10,000 residents (0.65× the US rate of 248; 0.75× Ohio's), with 20,917 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,623. The Census Bureau also counts 3,446 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,051; 3,446 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 162; US 248 · Ohio 216
Paid employees: 20,917
Average annual pay: $48,623; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marion County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	91	14.1	0.67×Fewer than typical	1,501	$80,240	177
Restaurants and other eating places	87	13.4	0.73×Fewer than typical	1,871	$20,306	16
Religious organizations	53	8.2	1.48×More than typical	263	$19,966	—
Limited-service restaurants	52	8	1.00×About typical	1,184	$16,393	10
Specialty trade contractors	49	7.6	0.49×Fewer than typical	328	$61,716	289
Lessors of real estate	33	5.1	0.41×Fewer than typical	83	$42,627	351
Services to buildings and dwellings	29	4.5	0.66×Fewer than typical	535	$30,393	284
Full-service restaurants	27	4.2	0.54×Fewer than typical	603	$28,529	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	26	4	0.80×Fewer than typical	208	$25,990	65
Offices of physicians	24	3.7	0.57×Fewer than typical	437	$68,593	19
Building equipment contractors	23	3.6	0.59×Fewer than typical	177	$56,000	43
Construction of buildings	22	3.4	0.45×Fewer than typical	81	$41,173	147

Rank places for an industry Open Marion County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 64,768 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $2,127 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Marion, Ohio: $0.06 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2,127; −97% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.06; US $1,994
Sole-source: 50%; US 30%
Single offer: 50%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$2,127100%

Top recipients

HANGER PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS, INC.$1,06450%
HANGER PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS INC$1,06450%
AECOM TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC.$00.0%
PEOPLES & PEOPLES CONSULTING, LLC-$0.040.0%

Spending by fiscal year

15.4KFY2017
1.5KFY2018
2.8KFY2019
1.4KFY2020
5.3KFY2021
8KFY2022
4.6MFY2023
427.9KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$2,128100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Marion, Ohio, so they do not add up across cities.

Marion, Ohio's figures are part of those of Marion County, OH ($216.7K in FY2026), never added to them: 1.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Marion is mostly in Marion County.

See federal money in Marion County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Marion, Ohio is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jim JordanR-OH-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 3.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Marion County31100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Marion, OH18

Other cities and towns in Marion County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3947754

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends