Marion County, FL

This county of 458,953 residents needs 39,641 more housing units over the next five years. Marion County is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. Marion County is part of the Ocala/Marion TPO.

Housing snapshot

Population
458,953 (2026)
Households
176,130
Median household income
$69,070 (2026)
Typical home value
$281,618
Owner-occupied
68%
Five-year housing need
39,641 units

Comparison to other Florida counties

Marion County: $69,070 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$45K >$120K
Marion County: 0.7 jobs to household ratio
<0.4 >1.58
Marion County: Permits since 2021 represent 16.3% of housing
<0.7% >25%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

In Marion County, FL, the typical home price of $281,618 is below the Florida average of $334,647. With a median household income of $69,070 in Marion County, FL, housing costs are a modest stretch for the typical household.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Marion County, FL has a population of roughly 400,078, growing steadily at 2.1% per year.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

Marion County, FL is a growing community of roughly 176,130 households, with population increasing at 2.1% per year.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

In Marion County, FL, detached single-family accounts for 68% of the housing stock. Homeownership is the norm in Marion County, FL, with 68% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Marion County, FL needs 39,641 new units over the next 5 years.

37,720
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
21.4%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 176,130 in 2026 to 213,850 in 2031.
1,921
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
1,902
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 2.0 per 1,000 units.
19
Substandard housing adjustment
Substandard housing rate is 0.99%. This is above National avg. of 0.98%.
39,641
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
7,928
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
21.1%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
4.2%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How do these communities compare to each other?