Marion County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion County, MO 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 82% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,457 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 64.1 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.17% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,323 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County grew by 0.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,457 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marion County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.4% of residents. That is 0.8 points below Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,797 20.4% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,570 19.6% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,611 19.7% on par
- Boomers 61–79 5,165 18.2% +0.2 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 Missouri, 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 51.5% of the people living in Marion County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 48.5% Missouri 49.3%
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 | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,331 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.70% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 11% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $79,047 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $808 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 8.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $808 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 28 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 115 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.8 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.7 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 115 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,574 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,379 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 700 | 923 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Missouri:
Saline County (11.9 min), Adair County (12.0 min), Nodaway County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Bollinger County (33.1 min), Ray County (32.2 min), Maries County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Marion County is 14 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
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 | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Louis County (0.4), Platte County (0.4), Boone County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bollinger County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Ripley County (0.2).
Health
Marion County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.7% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.8% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Charles County (0.8), Platte County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
Scotland County (0.7), Ripley County (0.7), Pemiscot County (0.8).
Marion County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Marion County, MO compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, MO | 28,457 | $63,331 #2/2 | $79,047 #2/2 | 13.8 min #2/2 |
| Adams County, IL | 64,753 | $66,119 | $202,885 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, Missouri.
What is the population of Marion County, Missouri?
About 28,457 people live in Marion County, Missouri, in 11,323 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Marion County, Missouri mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, Missouri has 64 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Marion County, Missouri an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($79,047 against $63,331), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $808 a month takes about 15% 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, Missouri?
Unemployment in Marion County, Missouri is only 3.8%, 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, Missouri?
22.8% of adults in Marion County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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