Marion County, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion County, FL 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 average
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 400,073 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 240.7 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.04% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.9 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 164,879 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County grew by 25.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 400,073 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marion County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.4% of residents. That is 6.8 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 67,340 16.8% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 67,549 16.9% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 78,029 19.5% -1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 105,562 26.4% +6.8 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 Florida, 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 51.8% of the people living in Marion County and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Florida 51.0%
- Men 48.2% Florida 49.0%
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 | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,094 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.35% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 18% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $219,062 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,277 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.5% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 14.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,277 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 194 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.3 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.6 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 194 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,025 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.0% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 14,511 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,677 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Florida:
Taylor County (13.8 min), Monroe County (16.1 min), Franklin County (16.6 min).
Slowest:
Washington County (32.8 min), Osceola County (32.3 min), Liberty County (32.1 min).
The average commute time in Marion County is 23 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Florida.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Marion County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.5% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.4), Leon County (0.4), Alachua County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hamilton County (0.1), Hendry County (0.1), Hardee County (0.1).
Health
Marion County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.6% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.8), Seminole County (0.8), Alachua County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glades County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8), Hendry County (0.8).
Marion County, FL Compared With Nearby Counties
Marion County, FL is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 400,073 residents against a local median of 162,471. Where Marion County, FL breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 28% above the local median of $171,305 at $219,062.
The counties themselves spread $262,454 on median home price, so Marion County, FL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Marion County, FL has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, FL | 400,073 | $61,094 #4/6 | $219,062 #2/6 | 23.3 min #3/6 |
| Sumter County, FL | 143,408 | $76,563 | $342,264 | 23.4 min |
| Putnam County, FL | 75,164 | $48,004 | $79,810 | 27.0 min |
| Alachua County, FL | 285,474 | $62,563 | $163,632 | 20.5 min |
| Lake County, FL | 412,915 | $73,226 | $205,133 | 28.1 min |
| Citrus County, FL | 162,471 | $56,112 | $171,305 | 22.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, Florida.
What is the population of Marion County, Florida?
About 400,073 people live in Marion County, Florida, in 164,879 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Marion County, Florida urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, Florida has 241 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Marion County, Florida?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($219,062 against $61,094), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,277 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Marion County, Florida have a college degree?
20.5% of adults in Marion County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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