Herrin and Marion receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Herrin
Marion
Opportunity
60 · Top 42%
vs61 · Top 40%
Growth
62 · Top 30%
vs61 · Top 31%
Climate
73 · Top 36%
vs73 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 19%
vs97 · Top 15%
Schools
57 · Top 43%
vs59 · Top 40%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 28%
vs46 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Herrin | Marion | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,226 | 16,836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,975 | $56,912 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,228 | $39,024 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,264/sq mi | 1,169/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $113,300 | $158,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,002 | $921 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.7% | 63.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.0% | -0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 28.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.5% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 31 | 85 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 5.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 93.8% | -3.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.0" | 44.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 23.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 42.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.11 | 14.31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 24.2% | 22.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.1% | 34.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 65.4% | 52.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Herrin
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
Marion
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
Full profiles: Herrin, IL · Marion, IL · How this is calculated: methodology