Marion County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion County, IA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 85% of counties in Iowa
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 88% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,642 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 59.0 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.17% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.9 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,316 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County grew by 3.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,642 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marion County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.2% of residents. That is about the same share as Iowa.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,479 22.2% on par
- Millennials 29–44 6,195 18.4% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,638 19.7% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,249 18.6% +0.9 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 Iowa, 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 50.1% of the people living in Marion County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.9% Iowa 50.0%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Marion County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,418 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.00% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.2% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 6% higher than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $184,905 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $883 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.7% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 17.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $883 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 129 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.5 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.0 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 129 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,002 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,833 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 450 | 606 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Iowa:
Sioux County (10.1 min), Union County (10.4 min), Cass County (10.6 min).
Slowest:
Monroe County (30.4 min), Madison County (30.1 min), Mills County (26.7 min).
The average commute time in Marion County is 15 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
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 C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Marion County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.4% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.4), Dallas County (0.4), Story County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crawford County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Louisa County (0.2).
Health
Marion County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.8% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.8% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.8), Story County (0.8), Winneshiek County (0.8).
Lowest:
Davis County (0.8), Wayne County (0.8), Appanoose County (0.8).
Marion County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Marion County, IA is typical in size for this group, 33,642 residents against a local median of 37,954, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Marion County, IA apart most is commute: 15.5 min, 28% below the local median of 21.5 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $184,905 against a local median of $219,047, 16% below it. The counties themselves spread 6.9 min on commute, so Marion County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Marion County, IA has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, IA | 33,642 | $79,418 #2/4 | $184,905 #4/4 | 15.5 min #1/4 |
| Jasper County, IA | 37,954 | $70,936 | $219,047 | 21.5 min |
| Mahaska County, IA | 22,021 | $71,408 | $202,419 | 15.9 min |
| Warren County, IA | 54,398 | $95,575 | $310,000 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, Iowa.
What is the population of Marion County, Iowa?
About 33,642 people live in Marion County, Iowa, in 13,316 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Marion County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, Iowa has 59 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Marion County, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($184,905 against $79,418), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $883 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Marion County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Marion County, Iowa is only 2.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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