Willis Allen House · National Register of Historic Places
Marion’s story
187 years in pictures
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1839Marion is settled
MarionIL
A town of 16,836, settled in 1839. A typical home worth about $182K.
Photo: Ruhe1986 (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
16,836
−2% since 2010
Typical home
$182K
+2.5% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
42.2
years
Jobs based here
16,510
A job hub
What makes Marion stand out
The 3 things Marion does most differently from other towns.
$182Ktypical home
Housing
$182K typical home
39% below the IL typical home
Up 2.5% in a year.
Outdoors
#212 most walkable in IL
6.6 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
0.6% of the town is conserved land.
16,510jobs here
Work
16,510 jobs
based in Marion, a regional job hub
40% of working residents work in town.
A job hub
Every workday, about 13,880 people come to Marion for work
Where Marion’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
16,510jobs based in Marion
40%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Marion’s report card
Now in Marion
What neighbors are saying. Town Square →
Residents weigh in
Marion is #6 of 691 in IL for “Mildest winters”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Marion’s Town Square.
Weather
Forecast →79°
Cloudy then Showers And Thunderstorms
H 0° · L 67°
Local news
All →Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Marion. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Marion home is worth about $182K
The typical Marion home is worth about $182,000, up 2.5% in a year, 39% below the Illinois typical home.
$182KZillow home value
Typical home value
Marion$182K
Illinois$298K
Market temperature
45
days on market
98.9%
sale-to-list price
+2.5%
value change, 1 year
16
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
0.6% of Marion is conserved land
6.6 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves.
#275for trails in IL
0.6%
conserved · 57 of 9,304 acres
6.6 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
#212
most walkable in IL
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Williamson County Fairgrounds | — | 53 |
| 2. Harry Crisp Sports Complex | — | 37 |
| 3. Pyramid Park | — | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Marion
40% of Marion’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Carbondale (8%), Herrin (5%) and Mount Vernon (3%). Half commute less than 7 miles.
40%work in town
Where working residents work
In Marion40%
Carbondale8%
Herrin5%
Mount Vernon3%
Harrisburg2%
7 mi
median commute distance
16,510
jobs based in Marion
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards
High risk, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingStrong wind
160
paid flood claims since 1982
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools
Marion’s public schools outperform 29% of Illinois districts
The public schools Marion’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 71% of Illinois’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Elem School | K–5 | 482 | B |
| Washington Elem School | K–5 | 465 | A− |
| Jefferson Elem School | PK–5 | 376 | B+ |
| Longfellow Elem School | K–5 | 261 | B |
| Marion Jr High School | 6–8 | 742 | B− |
| Marion High School | 9–12 | 1,075 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduationAll 11 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
Marion has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
10″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–44°
Spring46–67°
Summer65–87°
Fall46–69°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Crime reported in Marion
Marion's reported crime rate is well above Illinois's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 71 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Marion4.2
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Marion25.3
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
71
violent crimes reported in 2025
432
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health
Healthier than 41% of U.S. towns
Marion beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better22 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Marion | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.9% | 9.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.3% | 10.3% |
Marion Il VA Medical Center
0.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
30th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Landmarks
5 places in Marion on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Marion
City in Illinois, United States
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 16,855 according to the 2020 census. It is part of a dispersed urban area that developed out of early 20th-century coal fields. Marion serves as the largest retail trade center in Southern Illinois with its central location along Interstate 57 and Illinois Route 13. The city is part of the Marion-Herrin micropolitan area and is a part of the Carbondale-Marion-Herrin, Illinois combined statistical area with 123,272 residents, the sixth-most populous Combined statistical area in Illinois.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1839
- Population
- 16,855
- Area
- 17 sq mi
- Elevation
- 518 ft
- ZIP code
- 62959
- Area code
- 618
More about Marion
Still missing for Marion:archive photosupcoming events