Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety35#605/924
Economy46#498/925
Housing64#332/925
Health57#396/925
Healthcare83#159/923
Environment16#768/917
Education70#275/925
Infrastructure44#521/925
Community77#211/925
Leisure & amenities56#408/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Social associations · high17.4 /10k
96/100Illinois 9.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · low3.7 mi
95/100Illinois 4.0 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.4×
91/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Some college · high72.7%
90/100Illinois 71.4%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low5.7%
88/100Illinois 8.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Mental health providers · high509 /100k
87/100Illinois 355 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Suicide rate · high36.0 /100k
2/100Illinois 11.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high28.5 /100k
5/100Illinois 10.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.57%
7/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Grocery stores · low0.9 /10k
10/100Illinois 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high102 mi
16/100Illinois 35 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high3,649 /100k
16/100Illinois 3,343 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 38% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+38 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Firearm deathsWorsening
12.9 /100k (2021) → 28.5 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+121%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Suicide rateWorsening
16.4 /100k (2021) → 36.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+120%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Mental health providersImproving
292 /100k (2021) → 508 /100k (2025)
+74%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
28.4 /100k (2021) → 9.6 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−66%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New homes permittedImproving
1.4 /1k (2021) → 2.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+63%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

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-Herrin, IL micropolitan area improved on 8 of 21 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 0 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved8

Traffic deaths−17%17.3 /100k → 14.4 /100k
Unemployment−4.4 points8.6% → 4.2%
Broadband+11 points76.2% → 87.6%
Overdose deaths−46%17.9 /100k → 9.6 /100k
New businesses+49%6.2 /1k → 9.3 /1k

Declined6

Firearm deaths+174%10.4 /100k → 28.5 /100k
Suicides+120%16.4 /100k → 36.0 /100k
Grocery stores−33%1.3 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Gyms−46%1.6 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Rent burden+3.7 points42.7% → 46.4%

All 21 measures

Change of every measure of Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.4 /10k2020	5.2 /10k2025	−2.9%	Little change	23%
Average commute time	22.4 min2015-2019	23.5 min2020-2024	+1.1 min	Little change	29%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.3%2015-2019	26.2%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Improved	29%
Broadband subscriptions	76.2%2015-2019	87.6%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	74%
Distance to an airport	102 mi2020	102 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	17.9 /100k2020	9.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−46%	Improved	76%
Firearm deaths	10.4 /100k2020	28.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+174%	Declined	0%
Grocery stores	1.3 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−33%	Declined	2%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.6 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−46%	Declined	6%
High school diploma or higher	92.3%2015-2019	92.8%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Little change	14%
Homicide rate	4.7 /100k2020	4.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−15%	Improved	37%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,1132019	$66,7812024	+31%	Improved	41%
New business applications	6.2 /1k2020	9.3 /1k2025	+49%	Improved	55%
Pharmacies	2.1 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	34%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−0.7%	Little change	58%
Public transit commuters	0.5%2015-2019	0.3%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	64%
Rent-burdened households	42.7%2015-2019	46.4%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Declined	26%
Restaurants and bars	9.4 /10k2020	9.8 /10k2025	+4.6%	Little change	65%
Suicide rate	16.4 /100k2020	36.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+120%	Declined	1%
Traffic deaths	17.3 /100k2015-2019	14.4 /100k2020-2024	−17%	Improved	86%
Unemployment rate	8.6%2020	4.2%2025	−4.4 points	Improved	86%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area 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-Herrin, IL micropolitan area itself moved −8.9 points in standing on average over the same 20 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

66,876 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59

Income

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

Household income

28,983 households (±394)

Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%4,617
$25k–50k23%6,666
$50k–75k17%5,050
$75k–100k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

28,983 households (±394)

Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Own71%20,477
Rent29%8,506

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

29,662 workers (±807)

Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone82%24,339
Carpool7.2%2,143
Public transit0.3%†98

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 no occupation wages for Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area.

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.

Marion-Herrin, IL has 1,597 employer establishments, 239 for every 10,000 residents (0.96× the US rate of 248), with 26,291 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,483. The Census Bureau also counts 4,583 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,597; 4,583 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 239; US 248
Paid employees: 26,291
Average annual pay: $53,483; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	166	24.9	1.19×About typical	2,674	$87,670	176
Restaurants and other eating places	122	18.3	1.00×About typical	2,458	$19,380	26
Specialty trade contractors	107	16	1.04×About typical	685	$60,657	350
Religious organizations	81	12.1	2.19×More than typical	425	$26,416	—
Limited-service restaurants	62	9.3	1.16×About typical	1,271	$18,791	12
Lessors of real estate	55	8.2	0.67×Fewer than typical	108	$42,083	408
Full-service restaurants	49	7.3	0.96×About typical	1,065	$20,630	9
Offices of physicians	46	6.9	1.06×About typical	1,322	$100,116	38
Banks and credit unions	45	6.7	2.09×More than typical	530	$61,677	—
Building equipment contractors	44	6.6	1.10×About typical	324	$64,259	75
Gasoline stations	38	5.7	1.76×More than typical	498	$33,066	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	38	5.7	1.30×More than typical	111	$60,288	94

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 66,749 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $69.5M on contracts performed in Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area: $1,034 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $69.5M; −76% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,034; US $1,995
Sole-source: 28%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.5%; 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 the Army$30.7M44%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$18.6M27%
Department of Veterans Affairs$16.7M24%
Defense Logistics Agency$1.8M2.7%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$1.5M2.1%
Public Buildings Service$141.4K0.2%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$48.5K0.1%

Top recipients

GENERAL DYNAMICS ORDNANCE & TACTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.$30.6M44%
GOLDBELT GOVERNMENT SERVICES, LLC$11.5M17%
JETT'S SPECIALTY CONTRACTING, LLC$5.5M7.9%
NAPHCARE LLC$3.4M4.9%
SMITH HAFELI INC$2.2M3.1%

Spending by fiscal year

204.6MFY2017
343.2MFY2018
159.9MFY2019
242MFY2020
206.8MFY2021
116.7MFY2022
457.2MFY2023
712.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$30.7M44%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$17.7M25%
General medical and surgical hospitals · 6221$3.6M5.2%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$2.8M4.0%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$2.5M3.6%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211

Largest awards

UNDEFINITIZED DELIVERY ORDER FOR 253,913 UNITS OF 155MM M119A2 PROPELLING BAG CHARGES$403.3M
GENERAL DYNAMICS ORDNANCE AND TACTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.· Williamson County, IL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 5, 2024 – Jun 11, 2026· W15QKN24F0392
25 MILLIMETER (MM) M919 ARMOR PIERCING FIN STABILIZED DISCARDING SABOT WITH TRACER (APFSDS-T) CARTRIDGE$281M
GENERAL DYNAMICS ORDNANCE & TACTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.· Williamson County, IL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 29, 2024 – May 6, 2026· W519TC24F0161
30X173MM PGU-13D/B AMMUNITION FOR UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, NSN: 1305-01-579-2134$65.5M
GENERAL DYNAMICS ORDNANCE & TACTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.· Williamson County, IL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Aug 7, 2020 – Feb 12, 2026

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $510M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area: $7,586 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $510M; +2.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,586; US $12,957
Loan face value: $18.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$259M51%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$49.7M9.7%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$40.1M7.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$32.6M6.4%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$23.2M4.6%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$17.5M3.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$13.3M2.6%
20.263 · Bridge Formula Program$13M2.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$64.2M13%
SPRINGFIELD, IL
COUNTY OF WILLIAMSON$11.1M2.2%
MARION, IL
SHAWNEE HEALTH SERVICE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION$5.6M1.1%
CARTERVILLE, IL
CORPORATE FLIGHT MANAGEMENT, INC.$5.4M1.1%
SMYRNA, TN
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF WILLIAMSON

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$344.9M68%
Federal Highway Administration$64.2M13%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$56.6M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$11.1M2.2%
Department of the Interior
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

420.3MFY2021
418.8MFY2022
434.9MFY2023
436.4MFY2024
496.8MFY2025
510MFY2026

County aggregates

80%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Marion-Herrin, IL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Williamson CountyCentral county6567,225

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Illinois

Areas based in Illinois, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Carbondale, IL44

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M32060

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved8

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Marion-Herrin, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Marion-Herrin, IL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Illinois

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved8

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought