Marion County, Oregon Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion County, OR 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 average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 349,246 | 4,252,306 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 293.4 | 43.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.84% | 0.82% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 40.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 126,862 | 1,717,698 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County grew by 12.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 349,246 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marion County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.6% of residents. That is 1.9 points above Oregon as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 78,931 22.6% +1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 77,217 22.1% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 64,895 18.6% -1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 56,828 16.3% -1.7 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 Oregon, 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 49.6% of the people living in Marion County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Oregon 50.1%
- Men 50.4% Oregon 49.9%
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 | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,543 | $83,617 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.43% | 5.70% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 7% lower than in Oregon.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $420,811 | $406,603 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,414 | $1,525 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.3% | 63.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 24.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,414 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 169 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.3 | 20.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.7 | 40.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 169 | 168 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,253 | $5,203 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.7% | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,779 | 7,643 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,144 | 967 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Oregon:
Lake County (7.7 min), Harney County (8.6 min), Baker County (8.9 min).
Slowest:
Columbia County (31.7 min), Clackamas County (23.9 min), Polk County (22.2 min).
The average commute time in Marion County is about the same as in Oregon.
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 | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.7% | 32.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.66 | 2.41 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.4), Multnomah County (0.4), Washington County (0.4).
Lowest:
Morrow County (0.2), Malheur County (0.2), Gilliam County (0.2).
Health
Marion County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 78.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.0% | 15.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 17.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Clackamas County (0.8).
Lowest:
Josephine County (0.8), Malheur County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Marion County, OR Compared With Nearby Counties
Marion County, OR is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 349,246 residents against a local median of 130,588. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Marion County, OR an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is median household income, 13% below the local median at $77,543 against $89,058. Marion County, OR has the 5th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, OR | 349,246 | $77,543 #5/6 | $420,811 #4/6 | 20.3 min #1/6 |
| Linn County, OR | 130,588 | $76,336 | $326,639 | 22.1 min |
| Clackamas County, OR | 423,491 | $103,455 | $536,509 | 23.9 min |
| Multnomah County, OR | 801,042 | $89,512 | $474,481 | 22.1 min |
| Yamhill County, OR | 108,598 | $89,058 | $443,771 | 21.6 min |
| Polk County, OR | 89,625 | $86,020 | $85,076 | 22.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, Oregon.
How many people live in Marion County, Oregon?
About 349,246 people live in Marion County, Oregon, in 126,862 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Marion County, Oregon urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, Oregon has 293 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Marion County, Oregon?
The median home costs 5.4 times the median household income ($420,811 against $77,543), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,414 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Marion County, Oregon?
22.7% of adults in Marion County, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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