Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Marion earns a D, ranked 233rd of 249 in Virginia, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $41K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 87% of the country. It also has a long history, with 11 places on the National Register. 29% of working residents work locally in Marion, against 4.8% in Virginia’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Marion has 10 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Hungry Mother State Park Historic District and Marion Male Academy. Among 253 Virginia towns, just 4 have a lower median household income than Marion.
Where Marion beats most towns.
Census counts: 445 in 1860, a peak of 8,385 in 1960, 6,022 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), 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 Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Marion.
Marion draws workers from Bristol and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and fares better on crime within Virginia than nationally.
7.4 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Marion’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile.
| Marion | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.5 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Smyth County Public Schools. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Marion Senior High, with 563 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 401 | C |
| Marion Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 563 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $1,188, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Marion is $714 a month. The typical Marion home is worth about $167,000, up 4.4% in a year, 59% below the Virginia typical home. 54% of Marion households own their home.
| Marion | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $714 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 54% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
5,671 jobs are based in Marion, 2.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.9 minutes, against 27.3 across Virginia.
About one in 3 of Marion’s working residents works in town. 9.8% of workers work from home in Marion. Since 2013, Marion has lost 374 jobs, to 5,671 in 2023.
| Marion | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 2,638 U.S. towns with household incomes like Marion’s, it is healthier than 56%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
Marion beats the Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20.
| Marion | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 17% | 19% |
| What stands out | Marion | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.7% | 6.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.8% | 11.1% |
| More smokers | 18.3% | 12.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 32.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 64% of Virginia’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 16 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Marion.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among 253 Virginia towns, just 7 have a lower July high than Marion. Marion has chilly winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Marion; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Marion residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Where Marion’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
10 places in Marion on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Marion.
Town in Virginia, United States
Marion is a town in and the county seat of Smyth County, Virginia, United States. It is positioned upon Interstate 81, in the Blue Ridge portion of the southern Appalachian Mountains in Southwest Virginia. The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion. Within the town limits it had a population of approximately 6,000, per 2020 Census counts. However, together with the neighborhoods, an additional 9,000 residents residing in unincorporated Smyth County have Marion mailing addresses, granting the Marion ZIP code (24354) a total population of about 14,500, which is approximately half of the county's total population.
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 9% of U.S. towns and #233 of 249 in Virginia. It grades D for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
11 notable people were born here, including Annie Jones and Pamela L. Reeves.
