County · Illinois

Marion County, Illinois

Marion County, Illinois. Marion County had 36,382 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.6% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). It holds 32 places (15 cities, villages and boroughs and 17 towns and townships) and 12 census tracts. GEOID 17121.

Marion County is the county of the Centralia, IL micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

36,382

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 37,729 · ACS 2020-2024: 37,000

Median household income

$61,240

±$3,240 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390

Median home value

$103,000

±$5,381 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300

Median gross rent

$794

±$40 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274

How many people live in Marion County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 37,729 residents in Marion County. The Census Bureau estimates 36,382 for July 1, 2025, down 3.6% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 37,000 over 573 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −273 (37,383)
2021→2022 −523 (36,860)
2022→2023 −200 (36,660)
2023→2024 −159 (36,501)
2024→2025 −119 (36,382)

Marion County in Illinois. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Marion County	Illinois	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	37,000	12,694,798	−743
Households	15,512±253	5,036,449	−434
Average household size	2.33±0.04	2.46	no clear change
Housing units	17,334±113	5,457,452	−940

Marion County's population since 2000

From 41,691 in 2000 to 36,382 in 2025: down 12.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 41,691
2005 (estimate) 39,941
2010 Census 39,437
2015 (estimate) 38,381
2020 Census 37,729
2025 (estimate) 36,382

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Marion County?

Marion County holds 32 places: 15 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 17 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government). The largest is Centralia Township with 13,816 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Marion County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Centralia Township	township	14,319	14,039±71	$51,444	$91,200	20.8%	100%
Centralia	city	12,182	11,856±176	$47,807	$89,600	24.3%	82%
Salem Township, Marion County	township	9,112	8,914±34	$64,865	$110,300	12.2%	100%
Salem	city	7,282	7,236±316	$59,728	$106,100	16.3%	100%
Sandoval Township	township	2,208	1,898±280	$55,103	$80,000	20.2%	100%
Raccoon Township	township	1,571	1,509±269	$78,487	$112,900	4.3%	100%
Odin Township	township	1,565	1,764±270	$57,946	$119,300	15.1%	100%
Sandoval	village	1,157	1,004±268	$52,841	$59,100	26.7%	100%
Kinmundy Township	township	1,131	1,113±253	$58,214	$96,700	12.6%	100%
Stevenson Township	township	1,126	1,036±242	$93,138	$135,200	10.7%	100%
Central City	village	1,098	1,081±214	$44,896	$47,600	29.1%	100%
Iuka Township	township	1,071	938±179	$58,661	$82,800	9.2%	100%
Tonti Township	township	1,022	1,320±331	$70,130	$129,400	14.1%	100%
Patoka Township	township	958	737±137	$68,611	$94,800	9.3%	100%
Odin	village	935	972±191	$46,131	$102,600	18.3%	100%
Haines Township	township	844	864±220	$73,580	$115,300	9.3%	100%
Alma Township	township	757	793±219	$80,000	$162,500	2.9%	100%
Kinmundy	city	733	803±201	$42,303	$95,400	15.8%	100%
Junction City	village	527	638±154	$56,364	$83,500	14.7%	100%
Patoka	village	525	498±110	$65,833	$89,200	9.3%	100%
Iuka	village	512	534±144	$61,146	$72,600	9.6%	100%
Romine TownshipGEOID 1712165455	township	497	420±145	$53,942	$111,200	25.9%	100%
Omega TownshipGEOID 1712156055	township	495	369±159	$59,583	$79,500	36.9%	100%
Wamac	city	985	804±194	$36,500	$20,100	27.7%	42%
Foster Township, Marion CountyGEOID 1712127195	township	380	390±218	$129,375	$232,900	2.8%	100%
Carrigan TownshipGEOID 1712111436	township	352	558±151	$62,500	$154,900	4.3%	100%
Meacham TownshipGEOID 1712147826	township	321	338±214	not published	$169,300	2.7%	100%
Alma	village	318	285±80	$67,500	$61,700	8.1%	100%
KellGEOID 1739324	village	173	145±59	$67,500	$60,000	2.8%	100%
VernonGEOID 1777681	village	103	69±31	$60,313	$57,000	23.2%	100%
Walnut HillGEOID 1778604	village	95	127±67	not published	$31,600	47.2%	100%
FarinaGEOID 1725375	village	540	570±197	$46,146	$83,800	10.7%	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Marion County?

The median resident of Marion County is 41.5 years old; 23.5% are under 18 and 20.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.2%. 1.5% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Marion County	Illinois	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	41.5±0.5	39.0	−0.7
Under 18 years	23.5%	21.8%	–
65 years and over	20.2%±0.1 pts	17.0%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2.2%	18.8%	+0.2 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	89.1%±0.8 pts	58.1%	−2.1 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	2.9%±0.5 pts	13.3%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.1 pts	5.9%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	4.2%±0.7 pts	3.4%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.8%±0.6 pts	0.4%	–
Born outside the United States	1.5%±0.3 pts	14.7%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	2.5%±0.5 pts	24.0%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	7.8%±0.9 pts	4.8%	–
With a disability	19.1%±1.2 pts	12.1%	–
No health insurance coverage	6.4%±0.9 pts	6.9%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	90.7%±1.2 pts	90.5%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	16.8%±1.4 pts	37.8%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	5.3%±0.8 pts	15.3%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	0.6%±0.3 pts	1.6%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Marion County earn?

Half of Marion County's 15,512 households earn less than $61,240 a year (±$3,240), against $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $58,481 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.4% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Marion County	Illinois	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$61,240±$3,240	$83,390	no clear change
Mean household income	$77,168±$2,908	$115,638	–
Per capita income	$32,825±$1,242	$46,406	no clear change
People below the poverty line	15.4%±1.9 pts	11.8%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	19.5%±4.4 pts	15.1%	−9.1 pts
Households receiving SNAP	19.8%±1.6 pts	13.8%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	86.0%±1.7 pts	90.8%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Marion County?

Owners occupy 74.7% of Marion County's occupied homes and renters 25.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,000 by its owner (±$5,381). The median renter pays $794 a month including utilities, and 34.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Marion County	Illinois	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$103,000±$5,381	$263,300	+$7,129
Median gross rent	$794±$40	$1,274	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	34.0%±5.2 pts	39.0%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,206±$53	$1,987	–
Owner-occupied homes	74.7%±2.1 pts	67.1%	no clear change
Housing units	17,334±113	5,457,452	−940
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.1%±0.7 pts	1.0%	–
Rental vacancy rate	3.9%±2.1 pts	5.0%	–
Single-family detached homes	71.5%±1.8 pts	58.2%	–
Mobile homes	16.9%±1.5 pts	2.3%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.3%±0.2 pts	0.7%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	14.8%±1.5 pts	20.2%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Marion County building?

Builders took permits for 12 new housing units across Marion County in 2025 (4 single-family), 0.3 per 1,000 residents.

2019 13 units
2020 15 units
2021 8 units
2022 8 units
2023 5 units
2024 25 units
2025 12 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Marion County get to work?

82.9% of Marion County's workers drive alone and 4.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.9%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Marion County	Illinois	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	60.1%±1.6 pts	65.0%	–
Unemployment rate	5.9%±1.2 pts	5.8%	−3.6 pts
Drove alone to work	82.9%±1.8 pts	65.9%	–
Carpooled	9.8%±1.7 pts	7.8%	–
Public transportation	0.2%±0.1 pts	5.8%	–
Walked	1.2%±0.5 pts	2.8%	–
Worked from home	4.8%±1.0 pts	15.9%	+2.5 pts
Mean travel time to work	21.1 min±1.1	27.8 min	no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Marion County's census tracts?

Marion County is divided into 12 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $32,679 (Tract 9526) to $86,131 (Tract 9517).

Census tracts of Marion County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 951617121951600	Kinmundy (17%)	3,371	3,338±304	$69,879	$105,900	$661	9.8%
Tract 951717121951700	Patoka (15%)	2,478	2,498±252	$86,131	$156,800	$638	4.3%
Tract 951817121951800	Sandoval (56%)	2,288	1,987±285	$53,167	$74,400	$810	19.7%
Tract 951917121951900	Odin (34%)	2,817	2,949±324	$67,571	$122,300	$867	11.1%
Tract 952017121952000	Salem (80%)	4,413	4,467±340	$64,020	$120,600	$795	11.0%
Tract 952117121952100	Salem (95%)	3,175	2,975±288	$53,125	$73,500	$769	23.6%
Tract 952217121952200	Iuka (13%)	3,985	3,947±285	$71,923	$107,600	$1,099	9.9%
Tract 952317121952300	Walnut Hill (8%)	3,454	3,313±335	$76,607	$134,600	$738	5.9%
Tract 952417121952400	Centralia (86%)	3,717	3,855±425	$75,215	$131,800	$916	4.6%
Tract 952517121952500	Centralia (78%)	2,538	2,439±335	$45,270	$47,900	$813	34.5%
Tract 952617121952600	Centralia	2,148	2,053±243	$32,679	$54,600	$741	28.7%
Tract 952717121952700	Centralia (59%)	3,345	3,179±390	$43,229	$70,500	$780	36.5%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Marion County compare with Illinois's other counties?

Marion County's rank among Illinois's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	36th of 102
Growth 2020-2025	77th of 102
Residents per square mile	37th of 102
Median household income	78th of 102
Median home value	88th of 102
Median gross rent	61st of 102
Poverty rate	24th of 102
Bachelor's degree or higher	89th of 102
Median age	62nd of 102

Every county in Illinois

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Marion County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.