Marion, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
7,579
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
39.1
2.09% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
23.5%
2.63% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$51,314
15.4% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$163,500
24.7% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
2,718
9.24% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Marion, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

90.8% of the residents in Marion, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Marion, NC are McDowell Technical Community College (385 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Marion, NC was $163,500, and the homeownership rate was 51.3%.

Most people in Marion, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Marion, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaMcDowell County, NCMarion, NCBurke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Marion, NC is home to a population of 7.58k people, from which 90.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 12.2% of Marion, NC residents were born outside of the country (921 people).

In 2024, there were 5.46 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.63k people) in Marion, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 849 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 782 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.8%
2024 Citizenship
87.3%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 90.8% of Marion, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Marion, NC was 87.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Marion, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Marion, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    4.63k ± 286
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    849 ± 177
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    782 ± 382
19.8%
Hispanic Population
1.5k people

In 2024, there were 5.46 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.63k people) in Marion, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 849 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 782 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

19.8% of the people in Marion, NC are hispanic (1.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Marion, NC as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. Honduras
    48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

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Foreign-Born Population

12.2%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
921 people
16.1%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
1.22k people

As of 2024, 12.2% of Marion, NC residents (921 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Marion, NC was 16.1%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Marion, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    69 ± 56
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    44 ± 37
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    12 ± 25

Marion, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.57 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Marion, NC.

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Economy

The economy of Marion, NC employs 2.72k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Marion, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (471 people), Manufacturing (421 people), and Retail Trade (325 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($50,750), Public Administration ($50,263), and Health Care & Social Assistance ($46,375).

Employment

Occupations

2.72k
2024 Value
± 400
9.24%
1 Year growth
± 19.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Marion, NC grew at a rate of 9.24%, from 2.49k employees to 2.72k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Marion, NC, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (312 people), Production Occupations (301 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (259 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Marion, NC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.72k
2024 Value
± 400
9.24%
1 Year growth
± 19.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Marion, NC grew at a rate of 9.24%, from 2.49k employees to 2.72k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Marion, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (471 people), Manufacturing (421 people), and Retail Trade (325 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Marion, NC, though some of these residents may live in Marion, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$43,468
Median earning men ± $4,317
$34,679
Median earning women ± $2,417

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($88,068), Manufacturing ($54,116), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($50,543).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($56,429), Other Services Except Public Administration ($40,179), and Public Administration ($39,735).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
Y-Axis
3.04%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Marion, NC awarded 385 degrees. The student population of Marion, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 486 male students and 717 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Marion, NC are White (332 and 86.2%), Hispanic or Latino (24 and 6.23%), Black or African American (11 and 2.86%), and Two or More Races (10 and 2.6%).

The largest universities in Marion, NC by number of degrees awarded are McDowell Technical Community College (385 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Marion, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (103 and 26.8%), Accounting & Finance (28 and 7.27%), and Welding Technology (27 and 7.01%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,203 students enrolled in Marion, NC, 40.4% men and 59.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 798 records, of which 58.5% were women and 41.5% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    103 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    11 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    11 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Marion, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 103 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Marion, NC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
McDowell Technical Community College
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
385 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was McDowell Technical Community College with 385 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 168 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Marion, NC, which is 0.774 times less than the 217 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 332 degrees mean that there were 13.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 24 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($1,824) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($134) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Marion, NC was $163,500 in 2024, which is 0.491 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $131,100 to $163,500, a 24.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Marion, NC is 51.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Marion, NC have an average commute time of 21.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Marion, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$163,500
Median Property Value 2024
±$10,443
$1,472
Median Property Taxes
±$287

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Marion, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Marion, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

51.3%
Homeownership
2024
66.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 51.3% of the housing units in Marion, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 46.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Marion, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$51,314
Median Household Income
± $16,150
2.87k
Number of Households
± 416

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.87k households in Marion, NC grew to $51,314 from the previous year's value of $44,472.

The following chart displays the households in Marion, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Marion, NC is from North Carolina.
0.467
2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina
0.47
2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (81.3%)
  2. Carpooled (14.6%)
  3. Worked At Home (2.64%)

In 2024, 81.3% of workers in Marion, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.6%) and those who worked at home (2.64%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

21.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Marion, NC have a shorter commute time (21.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.824% of the workforce in Marion, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Marion, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Marion, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Marion, NC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

23.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Marion, NC (1.54k out of 6.54k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Marion, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

83% of the population of Marion, NC has health coverage, with 32.9% on employee plans, 24.8% on Medicaid, 13.7% on Medicare, 10.5% on non-group plans, and 1.17% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.9% were men and 54.1% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.8% under 18 years, 19.3% between 18 and 34 years, 41% between 35 and 64 years, and 17% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.9% were men and 54.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

17%
Uninsured
32.9%
Employer Coverage
24.8%
Medicaid
13.7%
Medicare
10.5%
Non-Group
1.17%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Marion, NC declined by 16.7% from 20.4% to 17%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Marion, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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