Housing decision brief
Marion County, GA Housing Market
Marion County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
53rd lowest home value out of 159 Georgia counties with data | 33rd lowest rent out of 159
Median home value
$122,100
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$717/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$730/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
24.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$13/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
3 notes
Home-value estimate has a $41,761 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$122,100 median home value is 24% below Georgia county median
Lower rent
$717/mo is 15% below Georgia county median
Rent burden below pressure line
24.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 93.3 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$50,484 median income is 9% below Georgia county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 17.2 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $41,761, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Marion County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $122,100 | $161,000 | $281,900 | 24% favorable24% below Georgia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $717 | $847 | $1,163 | 15% favorable15% below Georgia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $730 | $786 | $1,672 | 7% favorable7% below Georgia county median |
Median household income | $50,484 | $55,714 | $74,755 | 9% pressure9% below Georgia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.70% | 0.89% | 1.02% | 21% favorable21% below Georgia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 24.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 14% favorable24.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$21,804
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$19,198
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Marion County is affordable. The median rent is $717/month against a median household income of $50,484, putting rent at 17.0% of income.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Marion County is $717/month, while owner costs run $730/month. Renting saves approximately $13/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $28,680/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $31,286/year. With a median household income of $50,484, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 24.0% of renter households in Marion County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Georgia, Marion County is less affordable than Laurens County by roughly 7% ($717/mo vs $769/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee County, GA | $125,700 | $713/mo | Same-state comparison near $125,700 home value and $713/mo rent. |
| Montgomery County, GA | $118,200 | $732/mo | Same-state comparison near $118,200 home value and $732/mo rent. |
| Colquitt County, GA | $121,400 | $779/mo | Same-state comparison near $121,400 home value and $779/mo rent. |
| Toombs County, GA | $127,100 | $714/mo | Same-state comparison near $127,100 home value and $714/mo rent. |
| Candler County, GA | $135,600 | $706/mo | Same-state comparison near $135,600 home value and $706/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $41,761 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 2 active sites in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Marion County
Is Marion County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Marion County?
How much income do you need for housing in Marion County?
What should I double-check before moving to Marion County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.