City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Marion, NC

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.

7,594
Residents
$44,472
Median income
$131,100
Median home
$925
Median rent (state)

Marion - the verdict

Nationally, Marion sits in the 12th percentile for household income and the 11th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

12th
percentile, household income
21st
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
11th
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, NC

7,594 people live in Marion, North Carolina - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Marion brings in $44,472 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 20.5%. Marion's housing stock carries a median value of $131,100, and the median resident age is 38.3 years. 14.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 39.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 2 residential building permits were authorized in Marion (Construction Slowdown), down 92% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Marion's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 3443.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Marion's yearly average temperature at 57.9°F with 56.6 inches of precipitation per year and 7.1 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Carolina scores 94.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $925 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 59.2 out of 100 (Moderate).

Population

7,594 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$44,472 /yr

Poverty 20.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Marion compare to other US cities?

Here's how Marion stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 12% higher than other cities
Home value 21% pricier than other cities
Median rent 7% pricier than other cities
Safety 11% safer than other cities

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

Zoom in to just North Carolina and the picture shifts: Marion ranks #133 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Marion against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

North Carolina-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Marion near the bottom of North Carolina's cities

Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Marion ranks #552 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Marion only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#526 of 700
25th percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#552 of 746
0th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#534 of 708
25th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#141 of 746
81st percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#550 of 746
26th percentile in North Carolina

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

12thIncome percentile
11thSafety percentile

12th percentile nationally for median household income · 11th 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 36 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+)

$131,100 Among the most affordable more affordable than 79% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $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, NC Marion, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Marion, NC-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, NC median $44,472/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, NC'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, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 14.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 20.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 39.7%

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

Population
7,594
Median Income
$44,472
Median Home Value
$131,100
Median Age
38.3
Poverty Rate
20.5%
Labor force participation
39.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3443.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
242.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3201.1
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
57.9°F
Annual Precipitation
56.6"
Annual Snowfall
7.1"

Schools

Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
7,400 residents7,500 residents7,600 residents7,700 residents 202020212022202320242025 7,647 residents 7,440 residents ▼ -2.7%
Marion's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 25
2020 2
2021 2
2022 2
2023 4
2024 2

Permit volume decreased 92% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
83.0%
Carpool
11.7%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
2.3%
Other
1.3%

Based on 2,371 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$925/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
59.2 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Oak Ridge
7,660 people
Kill Devil Hills
7,727 people
Etowah
7,765 people
Half Moon
7,780 people
Brevard
7,795 people
Forest City
7,368 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Marion's 7,594 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Madras, OR
7,596 people
Decorah, IA
7,597 people
Marshfield, MO
7,599 people
Hewlett, NY
7,599 people
Hubbard, OH
7,600 people
Clear Lake, IA
7,603 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Marion's $44,472 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Ludington, MI
$44,471 median income
Spooner, WI
$44,474 median income
Sisseton, SD
$44,477 median income
Homewood, SC
$44,466 median income
Lake Arthur Estates, PA
$44,464 median income
Lyford, TX
$44,464 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Marion, NC 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, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 65.8% 11.9% 11.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 21.4% White 65.8% Black or African American 11.9% Asian 4.5% American Indian 1.7% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 4.4% Two or more races 11.7% 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 North Carolina 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) 7,594 $44,472
Oak Ridge 7,660 $140,583
Kill Devil Hills 7,727 $85,747
Etowah 7,765 $73,000
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Marion, NC?

What is the population of Marion, NC? +

7,594 people live in Marion, NC according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Marion households earn a median of $44,472 annually, 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 North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

Is Marion, NC safe? +

Marion has a total crime rate of 3443.2 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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, NC? +

Homes in Marion carry a median value of $131,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Marion? +

The average annual temperature in Marion runs 57.9°F, 56.6 inches of precipitation, and 7.1 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.