What it's like to live in Marion
Marion is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Marion deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Marion compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Marion
Based on Marion's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,712
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,240 a year
- 48% of Marion renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$23,900
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $11,950
- Homes cost 2.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 39% below US
$856/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $856 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $119,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $119,500 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 21% above US
5.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.2%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 10% above US
364 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1376/100k · Marion Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 19% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 71% below US
11% 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
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (74 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Marion's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($856/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Marion
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