The Town Files

Marion, Pennsylvania

Community in Franklin County · population 851 (2020 Census)

Map: where Marion is in PennsylvaniaMarion
Median home
$196,600
Household income
$41,964
Jan low / Jul high
23° / 85°
Snow a year
31 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
53.5

Marion is a community of 851 people in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $196,600, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 79% of Pennsylvania towns, better for retirees than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.

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 townsRetirement77th pctFamilies38th pctQuiet36th pctWalkability34th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals57th pctVibrancy43rd pctHip & trendy68th pctCollege town42nd pctUpscale19th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving79th 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 $196,600, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 4.7 times the median household income of $41,964, which is more affordable than 2% of Pennsylvania towns. 87.9% of households own their home.

Marion vs Franklin County vs typical Pennsylvania townMarionFranklin CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$196,600$249,800$214,250Household income$41,964$77,003$75,278
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingMarionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$196,600$214,250
Median rent—$996
Median household income$41,964$75,278
Home value ÷ income4.7×2.8×
Homeownership87.9%81.5%
Median year built19551971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Marion

PeopleMarionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age53.544.2
Age 65 and over31.3%21.1%
Under 1818.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher20.4%23.8%
Below the poverty line16.0%8.5%
Veterans1.4%—
Born outside the U.S.5.1%—
Work from home6.2%10.6%
Average commute18.6 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband84.7%89.0%

Weather in Marion

July highs average 84.9°F and January lows 22.9°F. About 43.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 30.8 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 19 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 109 nights at or below freezing.

Marion monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°23°Jan41°25°Feb50°32°Mar63°42°Apr73°52°May81°61°Jun85°65°Jul83°63°Aug76°56°Sep64°45°Oct52°35°Nov41°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.210.02.68.03.66.04.00.34.14.13.83.84.13.53.11.03.55.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Chambersburg 1 Ese station (6.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Marion since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on April 19, 2019 about 7.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 27, 2022.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Marion by decade01950s01960s21970s11980s31990s22000s32010s12020s
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 32 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on June 29, 1976.

Severe weather in Franklin County since 1996

Storm events in Franklin County since 1996 by typeHail77Heat5Flood16Drought12Tornado9High Wind15Ice Storm6Heavy Snow31
NOAA Storm Events Database, Franklin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Franklin County has been included in 20 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
March 23, 2016SnowstormDR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
January 10, 2013HurricaneDR-4099: Hurricane Sandy
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Franklin County

Franklin County had 60,414 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,554 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Marion itself the ACS puts it at 0%.

Largest industries in Franklin CountyManufacturing8,715 jobs · $70,960Transportation & warehousing8,514 jobs · $59,593Health care & social assistan…8,499 jobs · $56,818Retail7,364 jobs · $33,282Hotels & restaurants4,403 jobs · $20,558Administrative & support2,581 jobs · $42,732
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Franklin County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Franklin 2.9%
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 77% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 36%. 31.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.5).

How much does a house cost in Marion?

The median owner-occupied home in Marion is valued at $196,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $41,964, so homes cost about 4.7 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Marion?

July highs average 84.9°F and January lows 22.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.5 inches of precipitation a year and 30.8 inches of snow.

Does Marion get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Marion since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on April 19, 2019. 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 4247464). 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.