City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Marion, IA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Marion - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

41,690
Residents
$87,105
Median income
$230,800
Median home
$1,071
Median rent (state)

Marion - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Marion places in the 68th percentile for household income and the 80th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

68th
percentile, household income
51st
percentile, home value
26th
percentile, median rent
80th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Marion, IA

41,690 people live in Marion, Iowa - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $87,105 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.1%. Home values in Marion run a median of $230,800, and the median resident age is 40.4 years. About 39.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 66.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 208 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Stable), down 2% from five years earlier. Marion reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 620.0 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: the state registers 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,071 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $212 across Iowa, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Marion workers runs 16.0 minutes, with 74.2% driving alone and 16.5% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 86.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

41,690 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$87,105 /yr

Poverty 6.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Marion compare to other US cities?

Marion measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 68% higher than other cities
Home value 51% pricier than other cities
Median rent 26% pricier than other cities
Safety 80% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Iowa alone, Marion ranks #50 of 141 Iowa cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Marion's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Iowa, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

68thIncome percentile
80thSafety percentile

68th percentile nationally for median household income · 80th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Marion's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Marion's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 70 Avg. percentile National median
Marion's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Marion's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$230,800 49th percentile more affordable than 49% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Marion $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Marion, IA Marion, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Marion, IA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Marion, IA median $87,105/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Marion, IA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Marion, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 39.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
41,690
Median Income
$87,105
Median Home Value
$230,800
Median Age
40.4
Poverty Rate
6.1%
Labor force participation
66.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
39.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
620.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
122.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
497.4
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
15
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
41,000 residents41,500 residents42,000 residents42,500 residents43,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 41,571 residents 42,732 residents ▲ +2.8%
Marion's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
208
housing units authorized
Single-Family
106
detached homes
Multifamily
102
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 212
2020 248
2021 233
2022 328
2023 109
2024 208

Permit volume decreased 2% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
16.0 minutes
Drive Alone
74.2%
Carpool
5.9%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
16.5%
Other
1.3%

Based on 21,153 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Iowa - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$75
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$212
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Iowa state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Iowa state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Marion sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,071/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
86.7 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Iowa

Cedar Falls
40,662 people
Bettendorf
39,297 people
Urbandale
46,026 people
Marshalltown
27,491 people
Mason City
27,135 people
Waukee
26,974 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Marion's 41,690 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Post Falls, ID
41,716 people
Belleville, IL
41,722 people
Fitchburg, MA
41,633 people
Brookfield, WI
41,592 people
Grove City, OH
41,831 people
Land O' Lakes, FL
41,845 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Marion's $87,105 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

East Dundee, IL
$87,102 median income
Mammoth Lakes, CA
$87,121 median income
Dexter, MN
$87,083 median income
Savage, MT
$87,083 median income
Cherryville, PA
$87,083 median income
Follett, TX
$87,083 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Marion, IA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Marion, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 89.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.2% White 89.2% Black or African American 2.7% Asian 1.8% American Indian 0.8% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 0.9% Two or more races 4.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Marion compares to nearby Iowa cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Marion (this city) 41,690 $87,105
Cedar Falls 40,662 $74,165
Bettendorf 39,297 $102,917
Urbandale 46,026 $113,086
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Marion, IA?

What is the population of Marion, IA? +

Marion, IA has a population of 41,690 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Marion, IA? +

The median household income in Marion is $87,105 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Marion? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Marion; the closest available measure is the Iowa state average, a cost of living index of 87.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Iowa vary by metro area.

Is Marion, IA safe? +

Marion has a total crime rate of 620.0 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Marion, IA? +

Homes in Marion carry a median value of $230,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.