Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Marion spent less per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Marion’s city government spent $47.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,134 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Marion is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,023 per resident in 2022: less than 92% of them
Marion’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,023 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 39 Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,463, and the middle half spent $1,179–$1,768. Marion spent less than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8.8 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Marion itself left out).
About $1,134 per resident a year, or $3.11 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 14% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Marion reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,023 · 2023: $1,029 · 2024: $1,134.
full-time in March 2025, up from 238 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,280 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.77% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Marion’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Marion’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Marion →
Who’s in charge in Marion
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Marion’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofmarion.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 167 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (41,864).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Linn-Mar Community School District
Marion’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,124 per pupil, $8,267 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.
Marion Independent School District · $14,673 per pupil
Cedar Rapids Community School District · $14,892 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Marion voted in 2024
Official results for Marion’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.2%12,467 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.4%10,648 votesOthers: 1.4% (340 votes).
Most votes in Marion: Kamala D Harris
Linn County: Harris 54.2%, Trump 44.3% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of Marion’s 30,680 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Iowa: 70%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Ashley Hinson
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Marion, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | 53.2% | 45.4% | 1.4% | 23,455 |
| Linn County | 54.2% | 44.3% | 1.4% | 122,369 |
| Iowa | 42.5% | 55.7% | 1.8% | 1,663,506 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Marion.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofmarion.org ↗
- 2Iowa HouseMarion is split between 2 districts
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Marion compares with the towns next door
Marion spent $1,023 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,176. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $2,176 | $3,233 |
| Marion | $1,023 | $4,280 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Marion’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Marion’s government
How much does Marion spend per resident?
About $1,134 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,023 was less than 92% of 39 Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Marion?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,280 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmarion.org.
Who runs Marion’s government?
See cityofmarion.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Marion yet.
How did Marion vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 53.2%, Donald J Trump 45.4% (23,455 votes, official results). Linn County: Harris 54.2%, Trump 44.3%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for Marion?
251 full-time and 45 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.8M (about $21.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Marion in the state legislature?
Marion is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Iowa Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 37 (Molly Donahue). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Marion’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →