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Moving to
Marion Oaks.
Marion Oaks is an unincorporated community in Marion County, FL. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Marion Oaks
Marion Oaks is an unincorporated community in Florida with home prices that remain within reach and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Marion Oaks deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, and hot summers.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Marion Oaks compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Marion Oaks
Based on Marion Oaks's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,316
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,320 a year
- 37% of Marion Oaks renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,770
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 17% above US
$1,658/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,658 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $257,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $257,700 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Marion County is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Marion County (county-wide)
Safety
224 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Marion Oaks doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Marion County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 632/100k · Policed by Marion County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 29% above US
34 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.5 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 58% below US
15% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Matanzas National Monument (75 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Marion Oaks's strongest point is home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,658/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Marion Oaks
All Florida guides →Moving to Liberty Triangle →
5 mi away · pop. 24,888
Rent $1,711/mo · Income $64,943
Compare with Marion Oaks →Moving to On Top of the World →
9 mi away · pop. 16,007
Rent $1,212/mo · Income $60,670
Compare with Marion Oaks →Moving to Silver Springs Shores →
12 mi away · pop. 28,537
Rent $1,430/mo · Income $63,611
Compare with Marion Oaks →Not sure Marion Oaks is the one?
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