Marion County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 23.9 | 33,770 people · 86th most distressed in Iowa
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Marion County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 23.9 — 3056th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing remains relatively affordable compared to local incomes. Within Iowa, it ranks 86th of 99 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Marion County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 39.8 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 39.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 49
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 58
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 31
Rent-to-Income Ratio 3
Debt & Delinquency 31.9
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 61
Student Loan Delinquency 30
Auto Loan Delinquency 11
Credit Card Delinquency 13
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49
Employment & Wages 22.4
Unemployment Rate 8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 6
Business Formation Rate 53
Community Vulnerability 14.3
Uninsured Rate 1
Disability Rate 28
Income & Poverty 11.2
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 5

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Marion County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Marion County, IA 23.9 Healthy —
Lucas County, IA 49.3 Normal +25.4
Jasper County, IA 39.1 Normal +15.2
Polk County, IA 35.8 Normal +11.9
Monroe County, IA 34.9 Healthy +11.0
Mahaska County, IA 29.4 Healthy +5.5
Warren County, IA 24.3 Healthy +0.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Washington County, NE 23.9 Healthy -0.0
Washington County, IL 23.9 Healthy -0.0
Woodford County, IL 24.1 Healthy +0.2
Mitchell County, IA 23.7 Healthy -0.2
Brookings County, SD 23.6 Healthy -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Marion County as a CSV file.

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Iowa State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 515-243-3179

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Marion County, Iowa?

    Marion County has a County Distress Index score of 23.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,056th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 86th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Marion County?

    The primary driver of distress in Marion County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 39.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Marion County compare to neighboring counties?

    Marion County (23.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lucas County, IA (49.3); Jasper County, IA (39.1); Polk County, IA (35.8).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Marion County?

    Marion County, Iowa has a population of approximately 33,770 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.