Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Marion grades D− overall, 175th among Alabama's 187 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $36K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 97% of the country. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. Only 3 of Alabama’s 308 towns score higher on history. Marion is home to Marion Military Institute. Of the 137 Alabama towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Marion.
Where Marion beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Kenworthy Hall is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,544 in 1850, a peak of 4,467 in 1980, 3,176 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1838 and 3 maps from 1979 on.
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Marion is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marion, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Marion.
Marion is shaped by its college students, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Tuscaloosa and other neighbors.
Against the 1,405 U.S. towns with household incomes like Marion’s, it is less healthy than 78%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
50% of Marion adults have obesity, above both the Alabama town median (39%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 33% of Marion adults say their health is fair or poor. Marion beats the Alabama average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21.
| Marion | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 23% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 39% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 19% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 43% | 35% |
| What stands out | Marion | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.2% | 8.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 19.1% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Perry County school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Francis Marion School, with 413 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Marion SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 413 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
The typical value, about $127K, is 15% below its January 2022 peak. At about $127K, home values are down 11% in five years, against a rise of 17% across Alabama.
The typical Marion home is worth about $127,000, up 0.6% in a year, 47% below the Alabama typical home. Marion’s median rent is $588 a month, against $943 a month in Alabama’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 60% of households own their home in Marion.
| Marion | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $588 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 60% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Marion has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Marion is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Marion has about as many jobs (919) as working residents, but only 279 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 1,283 in 2013 to 919.
About one in 4 of Marion’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Marion fell to 919 in 2023, 364 fewer than in 2013. Only 8 of the 186 Alabama towns we compare have a lower median household income than Marion.
| Marion | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $36,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Marion’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents. Marion's reported crime rate is well below Alabama's.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Marion
College town 27 of every 100 Marion residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
3,686 counted in 2010 and 3,176 in 2020; an estimated 2,602 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 18% since 2020, after 13.8% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
13 places in Marion on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Marion.
City in Alabama, United States
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Perry County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, Marion had a population of 3,176. First known as Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed for a hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion. Two colleges, Judson College and Marion Military Institute, are located in Marion. This is noted in the city's welcome sign referring to Marion as "The College City".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Marion grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #175 of 187 in Alabama. It grades D− for health and D for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($37,654 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
17 notable people were born here, including Hal Kemp and Margaret Lea Houston.
