Marion County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion County, AL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below averageHealthier than 70% of counties in Alabama
-
D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 70% of counties in Alabama
-
F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 73% of counties in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,184 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 39.3 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.44% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,614 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County declined by 0.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 29,184 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marion County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.9% of residents. That is 2.9 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,668 19.4% -2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,402 18.5% -2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,674 22.9% +2.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,820 19.9% +1.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Alabama, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.9% of the people living in Marion County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 49.1% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Marion County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Marion County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Marion County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,086 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.95% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 22% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $110,185 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $629 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 14.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $629 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.5 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,846 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.4% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,425 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 303 | 1,193 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Alabama:
Pike County (16.4 min), Houston County (18.3 min), Escambia County (18.5 min).
Slowest:
Blount County (33.2 min), Pickens County (32.5 min), Lowndes County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Marion County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Marion County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Marion County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.69 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Alabama:
Madison County (0.4), Shelby County (0.3), Lee County (0.3).
Lowest:
Bibb County (0.2), Barbour County (0.2), Wilcox County (0.2).
Health
Marion County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.4 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.2% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.5% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Alabama:
Shelby County (0.8), Lee County (0.8), Baldwin County (0.8).
Lowest:
Greene County (0.7), Wilcox County (0.7), Perry County (0.7).
Marion County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
Marion County, AL is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 29,184 residents against a local median of 24,036. Where Marion County, AL breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 17% below the local median of 22.5 min at 18.8 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.1 min on commute, so Marion County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Marion County, AL has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, AL | 29,184 | $50,086 #4/4 | $110,185 #3/4 | 18.8 min #1/4 |
| Franklin County, AL | 31,966 | $53,041 | $124,863 | 21.0 min |
| Itawamba County, MS | 24,036 | $57,203 | $242,646 | 25.1 min |
| Winston County, AL | 23,682 | $57,650 | $13,275 | 22.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, Alabama.
What is the population of Marion County, Alabama?
About 29,184 people live in Marion County, Alabama, in 10,614 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Marion County, Alabama urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, Alabama has 39 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 45% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Marion County, Alabama?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($110,185 against $50,086), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $629 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Marion County, Alabama?
11.4% of adults in Marion County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →