Scores by category

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

Safety51#456/924
Economy11#827/925
Housing49#470/925
Health12#816/925
Healthcare64#334/923
Environment27#673/917
Education12#814/925
Infrastructure33#620/925
Community24#703/925
Leisure & amenities11#827/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Distance to an emergency room · low3.4 mi
97/100Ohio 5.1 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low6%
86/100Ohio 11%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · low10.7 /100k
80/100Ohio 13.9 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · high52.0%
79/100Ohio 49.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.6×
79/100Ohio 3.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low6.6%
77/100Ohio 8.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010

Weaknesses

Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
1/100Ohio 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · high49.7%
1/100Ohio 31.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · low14.7%
4/100Ohio 31.5%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Primary care physicians · low26 /100k
4/100Ohio 77 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high44.1%
4/100Ohio 39.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · high38.5 /100k
5/100Ohio 18.9 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New business applicationsImproving
5.1 /1k (2020) → 9.4 /1k (2025)
+87%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Mental health providersImproving
201 /100k (2021) → 366 /100k (2025)
+83%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Public librariesWorsening
0.6 /10k (2019) → 0.2 /10k (2024)
−75%5 yearsUS 0.5 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
67.4% (2010 & 2021) → 80.9% (2022 & 2024)
+13 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Violent crime rateWorsening
159 /100k (2020) → 251 /100k (2025)
+58%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.6 /10k (2020) → 0.9 /10k (2025)
+51%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k

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, OH micropolitan area improved on 13 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 9 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.

Improved13

Gyms+51%0.6 /10k → 0.9 /10k
New businesses+87%5.1 /1k → 9.4 /1k
Arts & recreation+34%1.8 /10k → 2.5 /10k
Firearm deaths−36%16.8 /100k → 10.7 /100k
Suicides−8.3%16.8 /100k → 15.4 /100k

Declined5

Libraries−75%0.6 /10k → 0.2 /10k
Violent crime+58%159 /100k → 251 /100k
Grocery stores−11%1.4 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Price / income+0.5×2.1× → 2.6×
Pharmacies−8.7%1.7 /10k → 1.5 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Marion, OH micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.8 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	+34%	Improved	91%
Average commute time	22.8 min2015-2019	24.5 min2020-2024	+1.8 min	Within the margin of error	15%
Average weekly wage	$8812020	$1,0812025	+23%	Improved	44%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.5%2015-2019	14.7%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Improved	36%
Broadband subscriptions	79.2%2015-2019	86.8%2020-2024	+7.7 points	Improved	33%
Child poverty rate	21.8%2015-2019	21.7%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Distance to an airport	42 mi2020	42 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	58.1 /100k2020	38.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−34%	Improved	61%
Effective property tax rate	1.15%2015-2019	0.96%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	70%
Firearm deaths	16.8 /100k2020	10.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−36%	Improved	95%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	23%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.6 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+51%	Improved	89%
High school diploma or higher	87.9%2015-2019	89.3%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.6×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	41%
Homicide rate	3.6 /100k2020	3.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−2.8%	Little change	24%
Income adjusted for local prices	$41,2202019	$53,5772024	+30%	Improved	36%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4522015-2019	0.4442020-2024	−0.008	Within the margin of error	75%
Median household income	$47,4982015-2019	$59,3712020-2024	+25%	Improved	38%
New business applications	5.1 /1k2020	9.4 /1k2025	+87%	Improved	91%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−8.7%	Declined	50%
Poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	16.6%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Property crime rate	2,115 /100k2020	1,311 /100k2025	−38%	Improved	60%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−75%	Declined	0%
Public transit commuters	1.0%2015-2019	0.7%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Rent as share of income	29.8%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Rent-burdened households	49.6%2015-2019	47.9%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Restaurants and bars	5.0 /10k2020	5.1 /10k2025	+0.4%	Little change	47%
Suicide rate	16.8 /100k2020	15.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−8.3%	Improved	76%
Traffic deaths	14.1 /100k2015-2019	14.8 /100k2020-2024	+4.9%	Little change	53%
Unemployment rate	7.7%2020	4.8%2025	−2.9 points	Improved	48%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.7%2015-2019	6.6%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Violent crime rate	159 /100k2020	251 /100k2025	+58%	Declined	3%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 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; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; 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, OH micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Marion, OH 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, OH micropolitan area itself moved −1.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

65,020 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

24,683 households (±368)

Marion, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k21%5,105
$25k–50k23%5,704
$50k–75k17%4,149

Homes

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

Owners and renters

24,683 households (±368)

Marion, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Own67%16,651
Rent33%8,032

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

25,885 workers (±808)

Marion, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone82%21,308
Carpool8.6%2,232
Public transit0.7%†186

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, OH 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, OH has 1,051 employer establishments, 162 for every 10,000 residents (0.65× the US rate of 248), 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
Paid employees: 20,917
Average annual pay: $48,623; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marion, OH 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

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.
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 $216.7K on contracts performed in Marion, OH micropolitan area: $3.33 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $216.7K; −77% vs FY2025
Per resident: $3.33; US $1,994
Sole-source: 7.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 7.0%; 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$216.7K100%

Top recipients

PAIN MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.$186.3K86%
HANGER PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS, INC.$15.2K7.0%
HANGER PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS INC$15.2K7.0%
AECOM TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC.$00.0%
PEOPLES & PEOPLES CONSULTING, LLC-$0.550.0%

Spending by fiscal year

220KFY2017
34.7KFY2018
39.7KFY2019
30.3KFY2020
92.2KFY2021
115KFY2022
66.4MFY2023
7.7MFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$186.3K86%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$30.4K14%

Largest awards

LITTLE SCIOTO RIVER TASK ORDER$73M
AECOM TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC.· Marion County, OH· Facilities & utilities· Feb 21, 2023 – Jun 18, 2026· 68HE0523F0038
JANITORIAL SERVICES - MARION CBOC$242.9K
PEOPLES & PEOPLES CONSULTING, LLC· Marion County, OH· Facilities & utilities· Oct 1, 2021 – Feb 25, 2026· 36C25022P0039
TENS UNITS AND ACCESSORIES EXPRESS REPORT: JULY FY25$186.3K
PAIN MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.· Marion County, OH· Health & medical· Jul 29, 2026 – Jul 29, 2026· 36C79126K0108
LEFT LEG BELOW KNEE PROSTHETIC BPA MODIFICATION - BPA NUMBER CHANGE

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 $394.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Marion, OH micropolitan area: $6,060 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $394.6M; −8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,060; US $12,955
Loan face value: $8.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$234.6M59%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$49.8M13%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$27.8M7.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$25.8M6.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$18.5M4.7%
93.600 · Head Start$9.4M2.4%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$5.5M1.4%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$4.4M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

OHIO HEARTLAND COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION$9.4M2.4%
MARION, OH
MARION METROPOLITAN HOUSING AUTHORITY$4.1M1.0%
MARION, OH
MARION TECHNICAL COLLEGE$3.6M0.9%
MARION, OH
CENTER STREET COMMUNITY CLINIC, INC$2.3M0.6%
MARION, OH
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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$330.7M84%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$30.3M7.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Administration for Children and Families$9.4M2.4%
Department of Health and Human Services
Railroad Retirement Board$5.5M1.4%
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner

Assistance by fiscal year

364.3MFY2021
355.6MFY2022
357.8MFY2023
378MFY2024
428.9MFY2025
394.6MFY2026

County aggregates

93%

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, OH

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

Marion CountyCentral county3165,115

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MarionPrincipal city35,669

Largest cities and towns

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

Other metro and micro areas in Ohio

Areas based in Ohio, 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/M32020

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Marion, OH 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, OH

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Ohio

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

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 buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type