Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,879, settled in 1842.
Marion gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $134K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the county’s $47K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 70th of 138 graded towns in Kentucky. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $39K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, its public schools beat 84% of Kentucky towns on state tests and graduation. 33% of working residents work locally in Marion, above both Kentucky’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (8%). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. Fohs Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Marion beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Crittenden County Elementary School | PK–5 | 614 |
| Crittenden County Middle School | 6–8 | 277 |
| Crittenden County High School | 9–12 | 381 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Marion is from typical.
Its grades run from A for cost of living (better than 89% of comparable towns) to D− for jobs and income (better than 2%), so the C+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 102 in 1870, 2,916 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1916 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
Against the 2,215 U.S. towns with household incomes like Marion’s, it is less healthy than 75%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
19% of Marion adults report frequent physical distress. Marion beats the Kentucky average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 29% of Marion adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Marion | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 22% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 27% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Marion | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.1% | 5.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.7% | 10.2% |
| More smokers | 24.7% | 18.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A− for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $134K.
Its public schools are run by the Crittenden County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Crittenden County High School, with 381 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crittenden County Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 614 | A− |
| Crittenden County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 381 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
At 2.9 years of the county’s $47K median household income, the typical home (about $134K) costs less against local pay than in 76% of Kentucky towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living. The typical value, about $134K, is 17% below its February 2025 peak.
The median rent in Marion is $688 a month. Typical home values fell 9.7% in the year to September 2026.
| Marion | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $688 a month | $937 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 59% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Marion has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Marion’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Marion’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Marion fell to 1,593 in 2023, 243 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Princeton (6%), Paducah (5%) and Salem (4%).
| Marion | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Marion Crittenden County Park, at 55 acres.
| Marion | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marion Crittenden County Park | 0.5 mi | 55 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Marion; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Marion residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
6 notable people were born in Marion.
City in Kentucky, United States
Marion is a home rule-class city in Crittenden County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the 2020 census, Marion had a population of 2,916. The farm communities surrounding Marion are home to a large Amish population. The Marion-Crittenden County Airport is located west of the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Marion grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns and #70 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades D− for health, B for safety and A− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
6 notable people were born here, including Ollie Murray James and Lee Cruce.
