Marion, Ohio

Marion is a city in Marion County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 census, down slightly from 36,837 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city in Marion County and the principal city of the Marion micropolitan area. It is also part of the larger Columbus–Marion–Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area.

President Warren G. Harding, a former owner of the Marion Star, was a resident of Marion for much of his adult life and is buried at Harding Tomb. The city and its development were closely related to industrialist Edward Huber and his extensive business interests. The city is home to several historic properties, some listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Ohio.

Marion currently styles itself as "America's Workforce Development Capital" given public–private educational partnerships and coordination of educational venues, from four and two–year college programs to vocational and technical training and skill certification programs. The mayor of Marion is Bill Collins.

History

Marion was laid out in 1822, and is named in honor of General Francis Marion. It was incorporated as a village by the Legislature of Ohio in its 1829–1830 session. On March 15, 1830, Marion elected Nathan Peters as its first Mayor.Leggett, Conaway. The History of Marion County, Ohio: Containing a History of the County; Its Townships, Towns, Churches, Schools, Etc; General and Local Statistics; Military Record; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio, 1883, page 510.

Marion was one of Ohio's major industrial centers until the 1970s. Products of the Marion Steam Shovel Company (later Marion Power Shovel) were used by contractors to build the Panama Canal, the Hoover Dam, and dug the Holland Tunnel under the Hudson River. In 1911, 80% of the nation's steam shovel and heavy-duty earth moving equipment was manufactured in Marion, Ohio. NASA contracted with Marion Power Shovel to manufacture the crawler-transporters that moved the assembled Saturn V rockets (used for Project Apollo) to the launch pad.

The city is a rail center for CSX, and Norfolk Southern. Marion has long been a center of grain based (corn and popcorn) snack and other products given its close proximity to nearby growing regions in adjacent counties (ConAgra had a major presence in Marion for decades, and Wyandot Snacks has been active in Marion since the 1960s). Whirlpool Corporation is the largest employer in the city operating the largest clothes dryer manufacturing facility in the world. Nucor Steel's facility in Marion is the largest producer of rebar and signpost in Ohio.

During the 1800s Marion served as a stop in the Underground Railroad known in Ohio as the River to Lake Freedom Trail. In 1839, a Black man, Bill Mitchell, was accused of being a fugitive slave in Marion and was freed in the ensuing legal case. A number of Virginians seeking to reclaim him for his owner brawled in the courtroom in response. The former slave was spirited away by Marion abolitionists and he ultimately made his way to Canada. In February 1919, nearly all of Marion's African American residents were driven out of town in response to an attack on a White woman. Marion subsequently became a sundown town, where African Americans were prevented from residing. President Harding, in spite of criticisms, employed African Americans at the Marion Star. In the 1920s, Marion city and Marion County supported Native American Jim Thorpe and his efforts to field an all–Native American NFL team called the Oorang Indians. In the 1970s, Dr. Dalsukh Madia, an Indian American, became head of the Smith Center at Marion General Hospital (now part of OhioHealth).

Today, non-White people constitute 14% of Marion's population.Current Marion, Ohio Population, Demographics and stats in 2019, 2018 Retrieved April 6, 2019 In July 2020 the Marion City Council, led by Mayor Scott Schertzer, unanimously passed a resolution vowing to promote racial equality and justice for its African American community.Marion City Council passes mayor's social justice resolution Retrieved July 29, 2020

Geography

Marion is located in the Till plain geological area of Ohio. The flat land was formed (12,000–14,000 years ago) of glacial till that formed when a sheet of ice became detached from the main body of a glacier and melted in place, depositing the sediments it carried. Two small glacial lake plains are located to the west of the city. The county has gently rolling moraine hills left from the retreating glaciers.

Because of the glacial action, the soils are highly productive for agriculture. The soils are blount, pewamo and glynwood.

The city is located about north of Ohio's capital city, Columbus, due north along U.S. Route 23. Marion occupies most of Marion Township, which is located just outside the city limits.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Marion had a population of 35,999. The median age was 38.8 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 126.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 132.5 males age 18 and over.

99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 12,874 households in Marion, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.2% were married-couple households, 21.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 14,539 housing units, of which 11.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.9%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number PercentWhite 29,476 81.9%Black or African American 3,784 10.5%American Indian and Alaska Native 131 0.4%Asian 157 0.4%Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 9 0.0%Some other race 564 1.6%Two or more races 1,878 5.2%Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,339 3.7%

2022 American Community Survey American Community Survey estimates, there were people and households. The population density was . There were housing units at an average density of .To calculate density we use the land area figure from the places file in The racial makeup of the city was 81.7% White, 9.2% Black or African American, 1.6% some other race, 0.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, 0.3% Asian, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 6.9% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.5% of the population.

Of the households, 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.3% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 11.2% were couples cohabitating, 20.5% had a male householder with no partner present, and 32.1% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was and the median family size was .

The age distribution was 20.5% under 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was years. For every 100 females, there were males.

The median income for a household was $, with family households having a median income of $ and non-family households $. The per capita income was $. Males working full-time jobs had median earnings of $ compared to $ for females. Out of the people with a determined poverty status, 21.8% were below the poverty line. Further, 30.9% of minors and 13.3% of seniors were below the poverty line.

In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 20.7% of the population of the town, followed by English at 13.3%, Irish at 12.7%, American at 9.2%, Italian at 2.7%, Scottish at 2.1%, Dutch at 1.7%, Welsh at 1.7%, French at 1.7%, Polish at 1.3%, Sub-Saharan African at 0.7%, Scotch-Irish at 0.7%, Arab at 0.5%, and Hungarian at 0.5%.

2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 36,837 people, 12,868 households, and 8,175 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 15,066 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.7% White, 9.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population.

There were 12,868 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 37.3 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.9% male and 45.1% female.

2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 35,318 people, 13,551 households, and 8,821 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 14,713 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.40% White, 7.01% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.

There were 13,551 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,124, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $31,126 versus $22,211 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,247. About 10.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy While Marion and the surrounding area is generally rural, manufacturing is a significant source of employment. The county is a well-positioned rail transportation hub with access to U.S. 23, serving as a major connection to Interstate 80 and Interstate 90 through Detroit and Toledo to the north, and connections to Interstate 71 and Interstate 70 through nearby Columbus.

One of the largest intermodal freight transport facilities in the country is located in Marion. It provides rail and local truck delivery services for Whirlpool Corporation, International Paper and major automotive parts manufacturers, among many others.

Whirlpool's dryer manufacturing facility in Marion is the largest in the world, producing over 20,000 dryers daily.

The unemployment rate for Marion County as of July 2019 was 4.4%.

Largest employers