What stands out worked out from the figures below

Florida has the most affordable homes ($247k median).

Marion has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Florida	Marion
People
Population	668Lowest	5,310Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-7.7%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	56.1±4.4Highest 40% above MA	53.8±4Lowest 35% above MA
	Florida and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	11.5%±3.1Lowest MA: 19.4%	16.7%±4.7Highest MA: 19.4%
	Marion and Florida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	30.1%±4.6Highest MA: 17.9%	27.3%±5.7Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Florida and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	24.3%Lowest MA: 47.3%	46.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.2%±2.6Lowest MA: 7.9%	7.7%±4.3Highest MA: 7.9%
	Marion and Florida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$86,875±$17kLowest 16% below MA	$143,092±$30kHighest 38% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$246,800±$19kLowest 56% below MA	$653,500±$47kHighest 16% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$867±$256Lowest 51% below MA	$1,176±$516Highest 33% below MA
	Marion and Florida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,894Lowest 68% below MA	$5,766Highest 4% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	16.7%±100Lowest MA: 51.8%	75.8%±26.8Highest MA: 51.8%
	Marion and Florida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Lowest MA: 10%	9%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.3%Highest MA: 62.5%	90.8%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 14 yrs newer than MA	1962Lowest 2 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 10% below MA	34 minHighest 15% above MA
Work from home	6.4%±2.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	20.1%±8.3Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#141 of 282 in MA
School district	Florida	Marion
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.