Marion is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Marion to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Being a small city, Marion does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.
The citizens of Marion are slightly better educated than the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns, with 21.80% of adults in Marion having a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.
The per capita income in Marion in 2022 was $13,413, which is low income relative to Alabama and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $53,652 for a family of four.
Marion is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Marion home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Marion residents report their race to be Black or African-American, followed by White. Important ancestries of people in Marion include German, Irish, English, Scots-Irish, and Italian.
The most common language spoken in Marion is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Polish.
