Granger House · National Register of Historic Places
Marion’s story
187 years in pictures
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1839Marion is settled
MarionIA
A town of 41,896, settled in 1839. Nearly 4.8% of it is conserved land.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
41,896
+19.5% since 2010
Typical home
$280K
+4% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
40.6
years
Jobs based here
11,255
A commuter town
What makes Marion stand out
The 3 things Marion does most differently from other towns.
Outdoors
#18 most walkable in IA
8.6 miles of trails across 21 parks and preserves
4.8% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Marion
Health
Healthier than 83%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than IA on 16 measures, worse on 0.
Granger HouseHistory
Settled in 1839
13 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 187 years.
A growing town
Marion has grown 19.5% since 2010
34,768 people in 2010; 41,896 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Marion’s report card
Commute6 miHalf of commuters travel lessOutdoors9 miof trails · 4.8% conservedHealthA−Healthier than 83% of U.S. townsSchoolsB+Beats 69% of IA districtsHousing$280K17% above the IA typical homeSafetyB+Less crime than 70% of U.S. townsClimate84°/11°Summer high · winter low · 34″ snowHazards45/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Marion
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Marion is #3 of 143 in IA for “Fewest uninsured”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Marion’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Marion. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in seven working residents works right in Marion
Most working residents leave Marion for work: only 15% work in town. The top destinations are Cedar Rapids (51%), Hiawatha (5%) and Iowa City (4%). Half commute less than 6 miles.
15%work in town
Where working residents work
In Marion15%
Cedar Rapids51%
Hiawatha5%
Iowa City4%
Coralville2%
6 mi
median commute distance
11,255
jobs based in Marion
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
4.8% of Marion is conserved land
8.6 miles of trails across 21 parks and preserves.
4.8%conserved
4.8%
conserved · 549 of 11,507 acres
8.6 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
#47
most conserved land in IA
#18
most walkable in IA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Legion Park | 1.8 mi | 87 |
| 2. Faulkes Heritage Woods | 0.6 mi | 111 |
| 3. Thomas Park | 0.6 mi | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 83% of U.S. towns
Marion beats the Iowa average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
A−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
16 better16 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Marion | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 11.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.4% | 7.3% |
St. Lukes Hospital
5.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
89th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Marion’s public schools outperform 69% of Iowa districts
The public schools Marion’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 69% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Hill Elementary | PK–4 | 536 | A |
| Linn Grove Elementary School | PK–4 | 385 | B− |
| Indian Creek Elementary School | K–4 | 354 | A+ |
| Wilkins Elementary School | PK–4 | 348 | B− |
| Novak Elementary School | K–4 | 347 | C+ |
| Francis Marion Intermediate School | 3–4 | 320 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduationAll 16 schools →
Housing
A typical Marion home is worth about $280K
The typical Marion home is worth about $280,000, up 4% in a year, 17% above the Iowa typical home.
$280KZillow home value
Typical home value
Marion$280K
Iowa$240K
Market temperature
12
days on market
100%
sale-to-list price
+4%
value change, 1 year
55
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 70% of U.S. towns
Marion reports less crime per resident than 70% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
B+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Marion1.2
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Marion5.9
Iowa12
U.S.15.5
70th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
63rd
percentile among IA towns
50
violent crimes reported in 2025
251
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Marion has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–31°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–82°
Fall40–61°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 45% of U.S. communities.
45risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
25
paid flood claims since 1982
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A commuter town
85% of working residents leave Marion for work
Where Marion’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
11,255jobs based in Marion
15%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
13 places in Marion on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Marion
City in Iowa, United States
Marion is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,294 at the 2000 census and was 41,535 in 2020, an increase of 58%. The city is located next to Cedar Rapids and part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. Marion was designated as the first Linn County seat before it was moved to the larger neighbor Cedar Rapids in 1919. Today, Marion is a primarily suburban community with a historic downtown center, and is one of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1839
- Population
- 41,535
- Area
- 18 sq mi
- Elevation
- 853 ft
- ZIP code
- 52302
- Area code
- 319
Marion’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Marion.
Cedar RapidsMarion
More about Marion
Still missing for Marion:archive photosupcoming events