Jobs, pay and daily life in Marion, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Marion is a city in Iowa with 41,896 residents. The median household earns $86,743 a year and the median rent is $961 a month, which is 13.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Cedar Rapids, IA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 139,260 jobs.
How Marion compares. Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Marion is #13 by population, #6 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #6 for remote work (#1 = most), #14 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Linn County, is #3 of 99 counties for average pay ($67,613).
Marion has 41,896 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.3% of the population of Iowa. It covers 18 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,327 people per square mile. The median age is 40.6, 5% older than the state median (40.6 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $961 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($961 against $972). Over a year that is 13.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $241,700, which is 2.8 times the median household income ($86,743); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 77.4% of households own their home, 8% above the state average (77.4% against 71.7%).
The Cedar Rapids, IA metropolitan area has 139,260 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,360 a year, 3% below the national median ($49,360 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (15,260 jobs, median $46,120); transportation and material moving (12,750 jobs, median $45,650); sales and related (12,570 jobs, median $36,870). The area is most specialised in production (1.5 times) and construction and extraction (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($103,600) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($77,460). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Linn County was 3.5%. 68.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Linn County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 72.0% drive alone, 0.5% use public transit, 0.8% walk, 19.3% work from home. 7.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 14% below the state average (7.1% against 8.2%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
38.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21% above the state share (38.1% against 31.4%). 3.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 42% below the state share (3.4% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 8.2%, 26% below the state rate (8.2% against 11.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 75°F (23.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 20°F (-6.6°C). About 923 mm (36 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (141 mm) and Jan the driest (28 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Hiawatha (5 miles, rent 11% lower); Cedar Rapids (7 miles, similar rent); North Liberty (21 miles, rent 30% higher); Coralville (24 miles, rent 10% higher). Rent differences are against Marion; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →State guide: IowaCountry guideLinn CountyIowa rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 226 federal postings open in Iowa (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
These figures are for the whole Cedar Rapids, IA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,360 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.5% |
| Manufacturing | 17.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 11.3% |
| Retail trade | 11.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.5% |
| Construction | 6.2% |
| Other services | 4.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.2% |
| Public administration | 2.8% |
| Information | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Marion lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County | 230,004 | $21,899 million | $95,212 | 125,917 | 7,760 | $67,613 | -0.7% | 3.5% | 119,865 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 18,530 | 16.5% | $105,172 | 1.79 |
| Health care and social assistance | 17,505 | 15.6% | $61,428 | 0.97 |
| Retail trade | 12,504 | 11.1% | $36,758 | 0.99 |
| Accommodation and food services | 9,507 | 8.5% | $21,788 | 0.83 |
| Construction | 7,795 | 6.9% | $74,882 | 1.18 |
| Finance and insurance | 7,387 | 6.6% | $103,442 | 1.45 |
| Administrative and waste services | 7,181 | 6.4% | $47,577 | 0.97 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,911 | 5.3% | $97,432 | 0.67 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5,714 | 5.1% | $59,192 | 1.07 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,067 | 4.5% | $90,421 | 1.02 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3,700 | 3.3% | $49,502 | 0.98 |
| Educational services | 2,976 | 2.6% | $49,737 | 1.14 |
| Information | 2,651 | 2.4% | $96,253 | 1.12 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,877 | 1.7% | $24,003 | 0.89 |
| Management of companies | 1,753 | 1.6% | $92,040 | 0.83 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,227 | 1.1% | $54,489 | 0.63 |
| Utilities | 824 | 0.7% | $114,617 | 1.72 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 153 | 0.1% | $63,740 | 0.15 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 120 | 0.1% | $67,666 | 0.25 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.0% |
| Public transit | 0.5% |
| Walk | 0.8% |
| Work from home | 19.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,743 |
| Income per person | $43,598 |
| Median gross rent per month | $961 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 13.3% |
| Median home value | $241,700 |
| Homeowners | 77.4% |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 89.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,360 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.80%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 40.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 38.1% |
| Born abroad | 3.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 68.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -6.6 | 20 | 28 |
| Feb | -4.9 | 23 | 33 |
| Mar | 2.4 | 36 | 51 |
| Apr | 9.5 | 49 | 93 |
| May | 15.8 | 60 | 107 |
| Jun | 21.5 | 71 | 141 |
| Jul | 23.7 | 75 | 102 |
| Aug | 22.5 | 72 | 106 |
| Sep | 18.3 | 65 | 89 |
| Oct | 10.2 | 50 | 77 |
| Nov | 3.1 | 38 | 50 |
| Dec | -3.7 | 25 | 46 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiawatha | IA | 5 mi | 7,206 | $66,270 | $855 |
| Cedar Rapids | IA | 7 mi | 137,264 | $70,424 | $967 |
| North Liberty | IA | 21 mi | 21,125 | $102,102 | $1,246 |
| Coralville | IA | 24 mi | 23,234 | $69,144 | $1,057 |
| Iowa City | IA | 27 mi | 75,752 | $58,546 | $1,094 |
| Waterloo | IA | 50 mi | 67,008 | $57,480 | $923 |
| Muscatine | IA | 51 mi | 23,489 | $58,117 | $974 |
| Washington | IA | 52 mi | 7,290 | $55,373 | $968 |
| Dubuque | IA | 55 mi | 59,174 | $65,845 | $948 |
| Cedar Falls | IA | 55 mi | 40,888 | $76,987 | $1,203 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
41,896 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$961 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 13.3% of the median household income.
$86,743 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.5% (BLS county, Linn County (latest month 2026M09)).
Iowa. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.