Living in Marion, Alabama: homes, schools and costs

The book's checklist

Lower cost of livingEveryday prices run 16.8% below the U.S. average in the parts of Alabama outside metro areas.
More house for the moneyThe Census survey didn't reach enough homes in Marion to say.
A safer neighborhoodThe FBI has no 2025 figures for Marion itself. Many small towns are patrolled by the county sheriff, so call the sheriff's office and ask what calls they get most.
Schools in town2 public schools: 1 K-12 and 2 other.
A hospital close byHale County Hospital in Greensboro, about 17 miles away, has the nearest emergency room.
Within reach of a big cityBirmingham is about 69 miles away as the crow flies. The book suggests staying within about 60 miles if you'll miss big-city sports, concerts and theater.

A check means Marion meets the rule of thumb from Frank and Dave's book. An empty box isn't a deal breaker: it's something to weigh for your family. A question mark means there isn't enough data.

What kind of town

Worth a closer look

Marion has lost about 17% of its people since 2020. A shrinking town can mean bargains, but visit Main Street on a weekday and ask what's closed lately.

The book sorts small towns into six types. These labels come only from the numbers; take the quiz to see which type fits your family.

For a lifetime

Homes and money

Typical rent, with utilities: $588 a monthU.S.: $1,413
Typical household income: $35,842U.S.: $80,734
Homes built before 1940: 12%U.S.: 12%
Homes built since 2010: 10%U.S.: 11%
Vacation and seasonal homes: 0%U.S.: 3%
Everyday prices: 83.2U.S. average = 100 (the parts of Alabama outside metro areas)

Home values and rents are what households told the Census Bureau across 2020 to 2024, so they trail today's market. Everyday prices are the government's average for the parts of Alabama outside metro areas, not Marion alone. Check current listings before you budget.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates; Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index for counties (all transactions); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.

The people

Population, 2025 estimate: 2,6022020: 3,149
Median age: 34.2 yearsU.S.: 38.9
Age 65 and older: 20%U.S.: 17%
Under 18: 13%U.S.: 22%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or more: 11%U.S.: 36%
Moved here from another county or state in the past year: 15%U.S.: 6%
College students: 27%share of all residents

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates (Vintage 2025); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Work

Biggest lines of work: Schools, health care and social services (49%); retail (13%)
Work from home: 3%U.S.: 15%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Health care

Nearest emergency room: Hale County Hospital, Greensboro, AL, about 17 miles away. It's a general hospital. Medicare hasn't given it a star rating.

Look up doctors, clinics and the hospitals themselves on Medicare's Care Compare. Ask where the most serious cases are sent.

Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital General Information.

Schools

2 public schools in Marion, run by Perry County and Breakthrough Charter School.

Colleges in or next to town: Marion Military Institute (under 1,000 students).

See each school on the federal school search, then check test scores and graduation rates on Alabama's school report card.

Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2023-24 (via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal); National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS institution directory, 2024.

Internet

Homes with cable, fiber or DSL internet: 34%U.S.: 76%

Before you buy, look up the address on the FCC's National Broadband Map to see which providers serve it.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Weather

January average low: 34°F
July average high: 93°F
Days 90°F or hotter: 73 a year
Nights at or below freezing: 51 a year
Rain and melted snow: 56.2 inches a year
Snow: 1 inches a year
Elevation: 364 feet

Weather stations: Marion Junction 2 NE (12 miles away) and Marion 7 NE (6 miles away, rain and snow). Averages for 1991 to 2020.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020; U.S. Geological Survey, 3D Elevation Program.

Getting around

Hale County HospitalEmergency room17

Tuscaloosa, ALCity of 114,00043

Birmingham, ALMetro of 1.2 million69

Straight-line miles. The road is always longer, and as the book says, an interstate at 70 is a different trip from a farm road at 45. Check the real drive: Hale County Hospital, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham.

Perry County is outside any metro area, with fewer than 5,000 people in its towns, next to a metro area (USDA rural-urban code 8, on a scale where 1 is the biggest metro areas and 9 the most rural counties).

For a day

14 places on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Kenworthy Hall, the Green Street Historic District, the Judson College Historic District and Marion Courthouse Square Historic District (Additional Documentation). One is a National Historic Landmark, the country's highest honor for a historic place.

Read about Marion's history on Wikipedia.

Know Marion?

Tell us what a visitor shouldn't miss, and what living there is really like. Write to Main Street at mainstreet@smalltownguide.com. The best notes from people who know the town will be added here.

Nearby

Straight-line miles.

Small towns

Uniontown, AL1,900 people, 16 miles
Greensboro, AL2,200 people, 17 miles
Valley Grande, AL3,900 people, 19 miles
Selma, AL16,100 people, 22 miles
Brent, AL4,400 people, 23 miles
Centreville, AL2,700 people, 25 miles

Smaller places

Newbern, AL144 people, 13 miles

Sources

Census survey figures are estimates with a margin of error; we leave out any figure whose margin is too wide to be useful. Data last gathered October 5, 2026. See something wrong? Write to mainstreet@smalltownguide.com.