Marion County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion County, WV 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 averageHealthier than 72% of counties in West Virginia
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 87% of counties in West Virginia
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 85% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,899 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 179.6 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.18% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 23,335 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County declined by 1.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 55,899 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 2.4 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,412 22.2% +2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,719 19.2% on par
- Gen X 45–60 11,281 20.2% -1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,880 19.5% -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 West Virginia, 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 51.0% of the people living in Marion County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 49.0% West Virginia 49.7%
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 | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,286 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.04% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 14% higher than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $110,384 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $932 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.7% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 9.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $932 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 193 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.1 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.2 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 193 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,970 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.0% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,287 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,413 | 1,052 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
West Virginia:
Randolph County (16.4 min), Ohio County (17.0 min), Pocahontas County (17.2 min).
Slowest:
Hampshire County (40.3 min), Morgan County (35.8 min), Monroe County (33.7 min).
The average commute time in Marion County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in West Virginia.
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 | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
West Virginia:
Monongalia County (0.4), Ohio County (0.3), Jefferson County (0.3).
Lowest:
McDowell County (0.1), Lincoln County (0.2), Clay County (0.2).
Health
Marion County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.2% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
West Virginia:
Monongalia County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8).
Lowest:
McDowell County (0.7), Lincoln County (0.8), Mingo County (0.8).
Marion County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
Marion County, WV is typical in size for this group, 55,899 residents against a local median of 64,984, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Marion County, WV breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 37% above the local median of $80,865 at $110,384.
The counties themselves spread $105,177 on median home price, so Marion County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Marion County, WV has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, WV | 55,899 | $68,286 #1/4 | $110,384 #2/4 | 23.1 min #3/4 |
| Monongalia County, WV | 107,163 | $65,364 | $178,061 | 17.8 min |
| Harrison County, WV | 64,984 | $60,698 | $72,884 | 20.2 min |
| Greene County, PA | 34,835 | $67,808 | $80,865 | 26.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, West Virginia.
How many people live in Marion County, West Virginia?
About 55,899 people live in Marion County, West Virginia, in 23,335 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Marion County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, West Virginia has 180 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Marion County, West Virginia?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($110,384 against $68,286), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $932 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Marion County, West Virginia have a college degree?
22.8% of adults in Marion County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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