Muncie receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Marion
Muncie
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 29%
vs48 · Bottom 33%
Growth
29 · Bottom 16%
vs34 · Bottom 22%
Climate
68 · Bottom 40%
vs68 · Bottom 40%
Physical resilience
64 · Top 44%
vs75 · Top 31%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs85 · Top 42%
Schools
19 · Bottom 10%
vs35 · Bottom 28%
Access
61 · Bottom 7%
vs66 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
24 · Bottom 3%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Marion | Muncie | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,531 | 64,751 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $43,343 | $44,471 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,101 | $25,281 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,753/sq mi | 2,363/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $85,300 | $97,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $805 | $904 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.8% | 52.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.9% | 26.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 29.6% | 29.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 21 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -56.3% | -53.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.3" | 40.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 67 mi | 58 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.2 min | 19.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 29.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.58 | 14.08 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 23.7% | 28.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 24.2% | 34.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 69.5% | 59.6% | 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
Marion
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Muncie
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Marion, IN · Muncie, IN · How this is calculated: methodology