Living in Marion, IA
Small city in Iowa
Marion is a small city in Iowa, home to about 42,000 people, with 384,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Marion a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $265k and rents for $1,490 a month
- Safe: violent crime is 0.4× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Strong healthcare: 6 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 84°F
👎 Cons
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Smaller job market: about 384,000 people live within 31 mi
- Higher taxes: about $1,192 state income tax per resident, 1.73% property tax
- Cloudier than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Marion ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Marion: common questions
What is the cost of living in Marion?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $265k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,490 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 89, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Marion?
Iowa collects about $1,192 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.73% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Marion safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.4× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Marion?
Marion has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 33°F and summer days around 84°F, with roughly 34″ of snow a year.
Does Marion get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and strong wind: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.67 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Marion?
The nearest major airport is DSM, about 112 mi away.
How Marion scores
Each bar compares Marion with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Marion right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.