Population 25,508 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Marion
Household size in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Marion has 2.42 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Marion has smaller households than most North Carolina cities.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.5 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Marion skews older than the country: its median age is 43.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 41.7 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the southeast, the oldest in the north.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Marion as they are nationally: 11.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Marion
Renters in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.3% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.3% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.4% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Marion rent their homes (26.4%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 49.5% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share is down 1.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Marion than nationally: 13.4%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has edged up 0.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Marion are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990. The median year built has moved up from 1974 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $519 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $568 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $643 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $794 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$275 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Marion pays $794 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $275 a month since 2006–10, up 53%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 26.9% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Marion
Bachelor's degrees in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Marion have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 2.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.4% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.8% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.6% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.7% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Marion never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 7.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Marion has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five North Carolina cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Marion
| Period | Marion | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Marion has been low: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 5.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Marion compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | 2.42 | 43.2 | 11.0% | 26.4% | 13.4% | 1979 | $794 | 17.7% | 84.7% | 3.2% |
| Clinchfield | 2.66 | 37.9 | 16.2% | 28.2% | 15.9% | 1991 | $817 | 30.0% | 98.9% | 3.2% |
| Glenwood | 1.89 | 59.3 | 2.0% | 38.7% | 27.0% | 1993 | $831 | 11.1% | 74.6% | 0.0% |
| Woodlawn | 2.65 | 37.2 | 16.2% | 30.7% | 17.3% | 1990 | $818 | 26.2% | 94.4% | 7.0% |
| Nebo | 2.43 | 45.1 | 12.3% | 16.8% | 18.4% | 1993 | $897 | 13.7% | 82.9% | 1.4% |
| Greenlee | 1.85 | 52.0 | 4.3% | 31.6% | 9.7% | 1967 | $929 | 27.9% | 81.8% | 1.9% |
| Vein Mountain | 2.75 | 43.3 | 18.1% | 11.1% | 15.8% | 1997 | $611 | 26.5% | 85.3% | 2.4% |
| Old Fort | 2.16 | 52.7 | 6.0% | 22.8% | 13.5% | 1986 | $828 | 23.1% | 92.7% | 8.5% |
| Moffitt Hill | 2.23 | 54.3 | 6.9% | 10.5% | 24.2% | 1990 | $855 | 26.7% | 90.2% | 21.4% |
| Busick | 2.06 | 54.9 | 5.3% | 29.0% | 21.4% | 1976 | $899 | 27.6% | 86.3% | 2.9% |
| Glen Alpine | 2.82 | 35.6 | 14.5% | 15.4% | 5.8% | 1974 | $871 | 27.6% | 88.9% | 6.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: East Chicago, IN · Springfield, PA · Golden Gate, FL · Gibsonia, PA · Franklin, OH · Flushing, MI · Ferndale, WA · Emporia, KS · El Sobrante, CA · El Cerrito, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Marion. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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