Places › Ohio › Marion

Living in Marion, OH

Small city in Ohio

Marion is a small city in Ohio, home to about 36,000 people, with 215,000 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 $175k and rents for $1,280 a month
  • Mild summers: highs around 82°F
  • Low natural disaster risk: 2 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Strong healthcare: 5 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Fewer graduates: 10% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Smaller job market: about 215,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Weaker public schools: test results well below the US average
  • Fewer family amenities 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

Population
36,000
215,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
37°F / 82°F
Average daily highs · 24″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$175k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,280/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
95
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$932
State income tax per resident · 1.1% property tax
Safety
No data
Not in FBI 2019 city table
Natural disasters
2 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, cold waves
Top-rated hospitals
5
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 17 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
10%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
CMH
43 mi away

Living in Marion: common questions

What is the cost of living in Marion?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $175k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,280 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 95, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Marion?

Ohio collects about $932 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.1% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Marion safe?

Marion isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.

How are the schools in Marion?

Public schools in Marion test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 17 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Marion?

Marion has cold winters: winter days average around 37°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 24″ of snow a year.

Does Marion get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and cold waves: 2 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.72 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Marion?

The nearest major airport is CMH, about 43 mi away.

How Marion scores

Each bar compares Marion with the other 1,990 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).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietSuburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceRelaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesGood
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyAverage
⛰️OutdoorsBelow average
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyNo crime data (counted as average)
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyBelow average
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportGood

Places like Marion

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Warren, OHSmall city46 $126k$1,270/moSafe Marion, INSmall city48 $143k$1,260/moSafe Mansfield, OHSmall city49 $164k$1,320/moModerate crime Lima, OHSmall city42 $161k$1,340/moHigher crime Waterloo, IASmall city47 $171k$1,360/moSafe Muskegon, MISmall city52 $208k$1,490/moSafe

Nearby

Delaware, OHSmall city · 22 mi away67 $366k$1,720/moVery safe Marysville, OHSmall city · 28 mi away66 $361k$1,720/moVery safe Mansfield, OHSmall city · 33 mi away49 $164k$1,320/moModerate crime Dublin, OHSuburb · 33 mi away73 $487k$1,720/moVery safe Westerville, OHSuburb · 35 mi away70 $412k$1,720/moVery safe Hilliard, OHSuburb · 39 mi away73 $353k$1,720/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in Ohio.

Is Marion right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.