Cost of living answer

Cost of Living in Marion, AR

Cost of Living in Marion, AR has an overall index of 81, 19% below the U.S. baseline of 100. The typical home value is $206,300; typical monthly rent is $1,058; and median household income is $80,637.

Cost index: committed city housing/rent inputs and BEA 2024 metro-area price parities. Home value: Census ACS 2023 fallback place estimate. Rent: Census ACS 2023 fallback place estimate. A place-level signal, not a personal affordability decision or financial recommendation.

Cost vs U.S.19% belowOverall modeled index 81
Typical rent$1,058/moCensus ACS
Typical home value$206,300Census ACS
Median household income$80,637Census ACS place estimate
Market PressureLower

Rent and home prices are comparatively balanced with local income. This describes the local market, not your household.

Rent pressure
16%
Typical annual rent divided by local median household income.
Buy pressure
2.6x
Typical home value divided by local median household income.
Your Household Fit

Can your household carry the housing cost?

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Your household inputs
Are you renting or buying?
Advanced assumptions
Initial rent input: $1,058 from ACS. Edit it to match the housing option you are considering.
Mortgage benchmark: 6.11% 30-year fixed, Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey via FRED, as of 2026-03-12. Not a lender quote or approval.
Property-tax input: State-level effective owner-occupied property-tax proxy Not a parcel or individual tax-bill estimate.

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Your Household FitNot calculated yet

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City details

Inspect the numbers when you need them.

Overall cost index81100 = U.S. baseline
Goods964% below baseline
Services955% below baseline
Utilities7426% below baseline
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Recommendations require usable housing and income data and exclude very small places for a city of this scale.

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Frequently asked questions about Marion

Living in Marion

Is Marion, AR an affordable place to live?+

Yes — everyday expenses in Marion run about 19% below the US average (Cost Index: 81). Housing is especially affordable: the median home is valued around $206,300, compared to the $303,400 national median. Monthly rent is $1,058, versus $1,348 nationally.

How does Marion fit a household housing budget?+

Start with housing. Typical monthly rent is $1,058, while local median household income is $80,637. That implies a rent-burden proxy of about 16% before utilities and other costs. Use that as a planning signal for whether the place looks manageable under your own household assumptions.

How much are taxes in Marion, AR?+

Arkansas uses an approximate state-income-tax planning model; 4.4% is top marginal-rate context from the tax snapshot. Applying the 0.62% state-level effective owner-occupied proxy to a home worth $206,300 gives a planning estimate near $1,279 per year; it is not a city, county, parcel, or individual tax bill. State plus average local sales-tax context is around 9.47%.

How much does it cost to rent in Marion, AR?+

The typical monthly rent in Marion is around $1,058. That's roughly 22% lower than the $1,348 national median. For comparison, the median home value here is $206,300, so buyers should also factor in mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance.

How much does a house cost in Marion, AR?+

The typical home value in Marion is $206,300. With 20% down and the committed 6.11% national 30-year fixed benchmark as of 2026-03-12, principal and interest are roughly $1,001/month before property tax and insurance. This is a planning estimate, not a local lender quote. About 70% of residents here own their homes.

Are groceries and utilities expensive in Marion?+

Grocery prices in Marion are about average compared to the rest of the US (index: 96, where 100 is the national average). Utility bills (electricity, gas, water) are below average (index: 74). Overall, these everyday costs shouldn't cause major surprises if you're moving from another similarly-sized US city.

What is Marion, AR like to live in?+

Marion is a small town with a population of about 13,641. The median age of residents is 34.6, which is close to the national median. The local poverty rate is 8.13%, near the national average of 12.4%.