Scores by category

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

Safety56#411/924
Economy7#860/925
Housing79#196/925
Health11#827/925
Healthcare44#513/923
Environment16#773/917
Education30#644/925
Infrastructure33#621/925
Community49#469/925
Leisure & amenities15#785/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Violent crime rate · low75 /100k
95/100Indiana 254 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.3×
92/100Indiana 3.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Social associations · high15.1 /10k
87/100Indiana 11.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public libraries · high1.2 /10k
82/100Indiana 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low42.3%
78/100Indiana 48.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Property crime rate · low792 /100k
77/100Indiana 1,052 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Premature death · high15,005 /100k
4/100Indiana 9,486 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · low70.9 yrs
5/100Indiana 75.6 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.4 /1k
7/100Indiana 3.9 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Voter turnout · low49.9%
7/100Indiana 59.4%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Depression · high28.7%
9/100Indiana 25.6%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low1.0 /10k
9/100Indiana 3.2 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
1% (2021) → 50% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+49 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
54.9% (2010 & 2021) → 74.0% (2022 & 2024)
+19 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.9% (2015-2019) → 88.2% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
78.6 /100k (2021) → 15.1 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−81%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
20.1% (2020 & 2021) → 35.4% (2023 & 2024)
+15 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Violent crime rateImproving
250 /100k (2019) → 75 /100k (2025)
−70%6 yearsUS 369 /100k → 328 /100k

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, IN micropolitan area improved on 12 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 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 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Grocery stores+60%0.8 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Broadband+16 points71.9% → 88.2%
Uninsured−2.1 points10.5% → 8.4%
Overdose deaths−67%45.1 /100k → 15.1 /100k
Arts & recreation+27%1.7 /10k → 2.1 /10k

Declined5

Commute+3.0 min19.0 min → 22.0 min
Inequality+0.0290.420 → 0.448
Airport+26 mi39 mi → 66 mi
Firearm deaths+21%15.0 /100k → 18.1 /100k
Traffic deaths+24%14.4 /100k → 17.8 /100k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Marion, IN micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.7 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+27%	Improved	84%
Average commute time	19.0 min2015-2019	22.0 min2020-2024	+3.0 min	Declined	5%
Average weekly wage	$8092020	$1,0032025	+24%	Improved	57%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.9%2015-2019	20.3%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Improved	42%
Broadband subscriptions	71.9%2015-2019	88.2%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	93%
Child poverty rate	26.9%2015-2019	28.3%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Distance to an airport	39 mi2020	66 mi2025	+26 mi	Declined	1%
Drug overdose deaths	45.1 /100k2020	15.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−67%	Improved	95%
Effective property tax rate	0.66%2015-2019	0.67%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Firearm deaths	15.0 /100k2020	18.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+21%	Declined	24%
Grocery stores	0.8 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+60%	Improved	98%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	−0%	Little change	42%
High school diploma or higher	87.2%2015-2019	89.3%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	81%
Homicide rate	7.2 /100k2020	6.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−11%	Improved	32%
Income adjusted for local prices	$43,6172019	$57,9462024	+33%	Improved	59%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4202015-2019	0.4482020-2024	+0.029	Declined	8%
Median household income	$44,3562015-2019	$53,5222020-2024	+21%	Improved	17%
New business applications	6.3 /1k2020	8.2 /1k2025	+31%	Improved	27%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−0%	Little change	72%
Poverty rate	18.0%2015-2019	19.8%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Public libraries	1.2 /10k2019	1.2 /10k2024	−0.6%	Little change	59%
Rent as share of income	28.5%2015-2019	26.8%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	84%
Rent-burdened households	46.5%2015-2019	42.3%2020-2024	−4.2 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Restaurants and bars	8.1 /10k2020	8.4 /10k2025	+3.7%	Little change	62%
Suicide rate	15.0 /100k2020	15.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+0.7%	Little change	60%
Traffic deaths	14.4 /100k2015-2019	17.8 /100k2020-2024	+24%	Declined	24%
Unemployment rate	6.7%2020	4.2%2025	−2.5 points	Improved	35%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.5%2015-2019	8.4%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Improved	87%

“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, IN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Marion, IN 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, IN micropolitan area itself moved −0.2 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

66,295 residents

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

26,773 households (±432)

Marion, IN micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k20%5,275
$25k–50k28%7,378
$50k–75k19%5,006

Homes

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

Owners and renters

26,773 households (±432)

Marion, IN micropolitan area
United States share

Own73%19,470
Rent27%7,303

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.3 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

28,612 workers (±817)

Marion, IN micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone75%21,443
Carpool10%2,913
Public transit0.1%†25

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, IN 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, IN has 1,261 employer establishments, 191 for every 10,000 residents (0.77× the US rate of 248), with 28,381 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,621. The Census Bureau also counts 3,540 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,261; 3,540 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 191; US 248
Paid employees: 28,381
Average annual pay: $43,621; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	109	16.5	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,576	$41,421	130
Restaurants and other eating places	104	15.7	0.86×About typical	2,312	$16,858	19
Religious organizations	80	12.1	2.18×More than typical	667	$25,100	—
Specialty trade contractors	60	9.1	0.59×Fewer than typical	590	$68,254	226
Gasoline stations	56	8.5	2.61×More than typical	450	$25,224	—
Limited-service restaurants	51	7.7	0.96×About typical	1,426	$14,916	9
Full-service restaurants	41	6.2	0.81×About typical	806	$19,408	8
Automotive repair and maintenance	40	6	1.20×About typical	159	$39,226	55
Building equipment contractors	33	5	0.83×About typical	307	$67,407	32
Construction of buildings	33	5	0.66×Fewer than typical	189	$46,111	115
Lessors of real estate	33	5	0.40×Fewer than typical	83	$31,759	336
Offices of other health practitioners	33	5	0.82×About typical	679	$37,125	62

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 66,188 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 $33M on contracts performed in Marion, IN micropolitan area: $497 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $33M; −31% vs FY2025
Per resident: $497; US $1,994
Sole-source: 12%; US 30%
Single offer: 8.6%; 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$33M100.0%
U.S. Secret Service$13K0.0%

Top recipients

ECKO JV, LLC$12M36%
ELEVATED TECHNOLOGIES SERVICES, LLC$3.5M11%
ABLE AMBULANCE, INC$3.3M10.0%
JAB GENERAL CONTRACTOR LLC$2.7M8.3%
ANDERSON ENGINEERING OF MINNESOTA, LLC$1.7M5.1%

Spending by fiscal year

28.3MFY2017
37.3MFY2018
44.1MFY2019
49.4MFY2020
37.5MFY2021
93MFY2022
17.3MFY2023
20.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$15.6M47%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$4.6M14%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$3.6M11%
Other ambulatory health care services · 6219$3.4M10%
Offices of physicians · 6211$1.6M4.8%
Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance · 8112

Largest awards

THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE ALL TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, LABOR, SUPERVISION, PERSONNEL, AND SHALL DO ALL THINGS NECESSARY THAT WILL RESULT IN THE COMPLETION OF THE EHRM INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.$39M
VALIANT CONSTRUCTION LLC· Grant County, IN· Construction & real property· Sep 28, 2022 – Jun 10, 2026· 36C77622C0127
PROJECT NUMBER 817CM3025 NEW LAND EXPANSION AT MARION NATIONAL CEMETERY$20.5M
KMC SOLUTIONS, LLC· Grant County, IN· Construction & real property· Sep 30, 2025 – Sep 28, 2026· 36C78625C0046
REMODEL BLDG. 1$12M
ECKO JV, LLC· Grant County, IN· Construction & real property· Jun 5, 2026 – Jun 5, 2026· 36C25026C0087
RENOVATE BUILDING 16 (610-20-103) - MARION, IN VAMC

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.

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 $480M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Marion, IN micropolitan area: $7,216 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $480M; −3.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,216; US $12,955
Loan face value: $13.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$271.1M56%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$52.3M11%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$42.9M8.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$30.9M6.4%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$29M6.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$18.3M3.8%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$4.3M0.9%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$4.1M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY (MARION COLLEGE)$28.8M6.0%
MARION, IN
INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$6M1.3%
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF CITY OF MARION$5M1.0%
MARION, IN
TAYLOR UNIVERSITY$3.3M0.7%
UPLAND, IN
CAREY SERVICES, INC.$1.7M

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$372.7M78%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$49.5M10%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$32.1M6.7%
Federal Highway Administration$6M1.3%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$4.4M

Assistance by fiscal year

494.9MFY2021
480.4MFY2022
454.9MFY2023
456.1MFY2024
497.3MFY2025
480MFY2026

County aggregates

88%

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 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Marion, IN

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

Grant CountyCentral county3266,524

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MarionPrincipal city27,531

Largest cities and towns

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

Other metro and micro areas in Indiana

Areas based in Indiana, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

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/M31980

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Marion, IN 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, IN

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Indiana

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined5

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