Marion County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion County, KS Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around averageHealthier than 74% of counties in Kansas
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,754 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12.3 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.48% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,750 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County declined by 4.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,754 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marion County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.8% of residents. That is 5.2 points above Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,391 20.3% -2.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,855 15.8% -5.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,402 20.4% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,567 21.8% +5.2 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 Kansas, 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% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 49.9% Kansas 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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Marion County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,167 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.80% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 12% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $59,230 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $727 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.3% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 6.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $727 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 141 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.9 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.9 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 141 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,373 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,320 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 533 | 662 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kansas:
Wichita County (7.0 min), Scott County (7.1 min), Greeley County (7.2 min).
Slowest:
Linn County (31.3 min), Miami County (30.8 min), Jefferson County (30.3 min).
The average commute time in Marion County is about the same as in Kansas.
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 | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.2% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kansas:
Johnson County (0.4), Douglas County (0.4), Riley County (0.3).
Lowest:
Seward County (0.2), Grant County (0.2), Kearny County (0.2).
Health
Marion County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.9% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kansas:
Johnson County (0.8), Riley County (0.8), Douglas County (0.8).
Lowest:
Wyandotte County (0.8), Woodson County (0.8), Chautauqua County (0.8).
Marion County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Marion County, KS compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, KS | 11,754 | $65,167 #3/3 | $59,230 #1/3 | 16.9 min #2/3 |
| Harvey County, KS | 33,756 | $74,290 | $23,220 | 17.3 min |
| McPherson County, KS | 30,205 | $78,479 | $24,740 | 11.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, Kansas.
How many people live in Marion County, Kansas?
About 11,754 people live in Marion County, Kansas, in 4,750 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Marion County, Kansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, Kansas has 12 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 14% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Marion County, Kansas?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($59,230 against $65,167), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $727 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Marion County, Kansas?
Unemployment in Marion County, Kansas is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Marion County, Kansas?
24.2% of adults in Marion County, Kansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), 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 →