Marion County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21155 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Marion County has a population of 19,749 residents and a median age of 40.4 years, making it the #1,902 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.0%. The median home value is $168,100, and the median household income is $59,627, which is 21% below the national median.

19,749
Population
#1,902 of 3,222
$59,627
Median Income
-20.7% #2,113 of 3,222
40.4 years
Median Age
+3.9% #1,987 of 3,222
17.0%
Poverty Rate
+34.7% #2,293 of 3,222

Demographics

Marion County has a population of 19,749, making it the #1,902 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.3%
Native Born
2.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Marion County is $59,627, ranking #2,113 out of 3,222 counties — 20.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.0% and unemployment stands at 4.2%.

Income#2,113
$59,627
-20.7%
vs nation
34th percentile
Per Capita#2,494
$29,597
-28.3%
vs nation
23th percentile
Poverty#2,293
17.0%
+34.7%
vs nation
29th percentile
Unemployment#1,437
4.2%
-20.8%
vs nation
55th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Marion County is $168,100 (-40.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $726/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.7%.

Home Value#1,851
$168,100
-40.4%
vs nation
42th percentile
Rent#2,608
$726
-37.6%
vs nation
19th percentile
Homeownership#1,016
77.7%
+20.6%
vs nation
68th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Marion County, 15.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 55.3% below the national average, ranking #2,807 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.1% −55.3% vs nation
Rank #2,807 of 3,222
13th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Marion County is 73.2 years. 25.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,189
73.2
-2.6%
vs nation
29th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,727
25.1%
+28.3%
vs nation
13th percentile
Diabetes#2,489
12.9%
+15.9%
vs nation
21th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,924
43.0%
+15.3%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,849
5.8
+2.3%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,813
5.3
+19.3%
vs nation
11th percentile
Uninsured Rate#524
6.2%
-40.9%
vs nation
83th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,304
29.5%
+11.8%
vs nation
27th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,662
18.0%
+24.9%
vs nation
15th percentile

Substance Use

22.6% of adults in Marion County smoke , 41.1% are obese , and 15.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 59.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,782
22.6%
+25.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,382
41.1%
+8.4%
vs nation
24th percentile
Excessive Drinking#300
15.7%
-21.3%
vs nation
91th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,946
59.5
+84.0%
vs nation
8th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Marion County is 7.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 32.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#937
7.4
-7.9%
vs nation
39th percentile
Suicide Rate#834
15.5
-21.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,498
18.5
+3.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,521
32.3
+59.6%
vs nation
11th percentile

Families & Children

17.3% of children in Marion County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 31.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,400
31.2
+42.8%
vs nation
20th percentile
Child Poverty#1,482
17.3%
-8.9%
vs nation
53th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Marion County is 62.0%. The mean commute time is 24.5 min, which is 11.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.5 min −11.3% vs nation
Rank #2,053 of 3,222
36th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Marion County voted Republican with a margin of 43.5%. The vote was 27.6% Dem / 71.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +43.5%
27.6% 71.1%
Dem 9,100 votes Rep
2020 REP +38.0%
30.5% 68.5%
Dem 8,928 votes Rep
2016 REP +30.2%
33% 63.2%
Dem 8,108 votes Rep
2012 REP +5.2%
46.7% 51.9%
Dem 7,316 votes Rep
2008 REP +3.3%
47.2% 50.5%
Dem 7,615 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Marion County, Kentucky

Marion County, Kentucky has a total population of 19,749, making it the 1,902nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Marion County is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Marion County is $59,627, which ranks #2,113 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%.

The median home value in Marion County is $168,100, 40.4% below the national median. Renters in Marion County pay a median gross rent of $726 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Marion County, 15.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.5 min.

Marion County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (7.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.7%).

All data for Marion County, Kentucky comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.