The Town Files

Marion, Pennsylvania

Township in Centre County · population 1,182 (2020 Census)

Map: where Marion is in PennsylvaniaMarion
Median home
$262,500
Household income
$67,405
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 84°
Snow a year
38 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
4
Median age
41.8

Marion is a township of 1,182 people in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $262,500, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 97% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, quieter than 92% of Pennsylvania towns.

Marion in our rankings:

How Marion ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Marion lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement83rd pctFamilies93rd pctQuiet92nd pctWalkability12th pctFirst-time buyers97th pctYoung professionals21st pctVibrancy44th pctHip & trendy11th pctCollege town36th pctUpscale72nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit54th pctDriving66th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Marion is worth $262,500, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.9 times the median household income of $67,405, which is more affordable than 10% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,025 a month. 88.3% of households own their home.

Marion vs Centre County vs typical Pennsylvania townMarionCentre CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$262,500$323,500$214,250Household income$67,405$74,291$75,278Monthly rent$1,025$1,207$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingMarionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$262,500$214,250
Median rent$1,025$996
Median household income$67,405$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.9×2.8×
Homeownership88.3%81.5%
Median year built19821971
Seasonal / vacation homes2.8%—

Who lives in Marion

PeopleMarionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age41.844.2
Age 65 and over14.7%21.1%
Under 1819.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher22.5%23.8%
Below the poverty line8.3%8.5%
Veterans5.9%—
Born outside the U.S.0.4%—
Work from home8.6%10.6%
Average commute27.6 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband83.5%89.0%

Weather in Marion

July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 14.6°F. About 42.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.3 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 152 nights at or below freezing.

Marion monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°15°Jan37°17°Feb46°25°Mar60°35°Apr71°45°May79°55°Jun84°58°Jul82°56°Aug74°49°Sep62°38°Oct48°29°Nov38°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.09.82.39.43.38.53.61.03.94.03.94.04.43.60.43.12.33.26.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Millheim station (11.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Marion since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on July 2, 2023 about 5.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 2, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Marion by decade01950s01960s11970s01980s11990s12000s02010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 7 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on October 2, 2018.

Severe weather in Centre County since 1996

Storm events in Centre County since 1996 by typeHail73Flood16Drought14Tornado10High Wind33Ice Storm23Heavy Snow62Flash Flood26
NOAA Storm Events Database, Centre County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Centre County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
December 2, 2016FloodDR-4292: Severe Storms And Flooding
October 1, 2013Severe StormDR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Centre County

Centre County had 68,578 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,822 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Marion itself the ACS puts it at 1.5%.

Largest industries in Centre CountyHealth care & social assistan…9,305 jobs · $67,973Retail7,120 jobs · $32,710Hotels & restaurants6,725 jobs · $23,986Manufacturing4,328 jobs · $65,367Professional & technical serv…2,993 jobs · $89,735Construction2,879 jobs · $71,349
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Centre County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023Centre 2.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Marion

Marion questions

Is Marion, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Marion scores better for retirees than 83% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 92%. 14.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.8).

How much does a house cost in Marion?

The median owner-occupied home in Marion is valued at $262,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,405, so homes cost about 3.9 times income. Median rent is $1,025 a month.

What is the weather like in Marion?

July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 14.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.4 inches of precipitation a year and 38.3 inches of snow.

Does Marion get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Marion since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 2, 2023. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Marion's Census boundary (GEOID 4202747456). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.