Marion

Marion is a town in and the county seat of Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The town limits had a population of approximately 6,000, per 2020 Census estimates. The Lincoln Theatre, a meticulously renovated Art-Deco Mayan Revival-style performing arts center in Marion, is the home of the nationally syndicated bluegrass music program Song of the Mountains. The General Francis Marion Hotel has been completely restored. Marion is home to legendary and popular Hungry Mother State Park, one of the six original Virginia State Parks from the 1930s. Marion holds the state record low for the month of May at 15 degrees and the second lowest recorded April temperature in the state at 10.7 degrees. Marion has a total area of 5.2 square miles (10.7 km²), all of it land. It is a two-year women's college, operated from 1873 to 1967, named in honor of Francis Marion, a American Revolutionary War officer. Marion, Virginia is notorious for being the location of two large side-by-side ground storage water tower tanks, which are separately labeled "HOT" (in red letters) and "COLD" (in blue). The landmarks, positioned just off of Marion exit 47, are visible to both north and south bound Interstate 81 traffic lanes. Marion hosts a monthly ArtWalk with local artists and musicians, held on the second Friday of each month in May through December. The current income for a household in Marion is $54,652.

Tourism

Marion is the primary city name, but also Seven Mile Fd, Seven Mile Ford are acceptable city names or spellings, Stony Battery, The Cedars, Thomas Bridge on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Town of Marion, Virginia. Marion is one of a few towns to be designated as an official Virginia Main Street Community. The Lincoln Theatre is the home of the nationally syndicated bluegrass music program Song of the Mountains. The General Francis Marion Hotel is a boutique hotel that has received an AAA Three-Diamond ranking. The town hosts a monthly ArtWalk with local artists and musicians, held on the second Friday of each month in May through December.

Geography

Marion, Virginia is located at 36°50N 81°31W (36.8370, 81.5165) The town has a total area of 5.2 square miles (10.7 km²), all of it land. Marion is home to Hungry Mother State Park, one of the six original Virginia State Parks from the 1930s. Marion holds the state record low for the month of May at 15 degrees and the second lowest recorded April temperature in the state at 10.5 degrees. The overall yearly climate is considered mild due to Marion's increased elevation, which can have a pronounced effect on temperature variations. The town is also home to two large side-by-side ground storage water tower tanks, which are separately labeled "HOT" (in red letters) and "COLD" (in blue). The landmarks, positioned just off of Marion exit 47, are visible to both north and south bound Interstate 81 traffic lanes. They blend in almost unnoticeably to locals, but serve as curious anomalies to passersby, especially when their view is unobstructed by the vegetation growth during summer months. They are visible from both directions of I-81 in both directions, and can be easily seen from the side of the road in the morning and afternoon. The city has a population of 2,816 (2,715 in the U.S. Census Bureau), and a population growth rate of 0.7% in the past decade. It is located on the National Register of Historic Places.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were 6,022 people, 2,573 households, and 1,394 families residing within the town limits. The current (2020) median income for a household in the town is $54,652. The racial makeup of the town was 91.98% White, 5.94% African American, 0.24% Native American,0.52% Asian and 0.02% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. There were 2,865 housing units at an average density of 689.6 per square mile (266.6/km²) The town has a population of 6,500, up from 6,000 as of the census of 2000. The town is located in the easternmost part of the state, near the state line with New Mexico. It is the only town in the state that is not in the National Forest System, which is the state's only national park system. The state park system is the second largest in the United States, after the state of New Mexico, after New Hampshire. It was the site of the first national park, which was established in 1872. The park was named in honor of former President Theodore Roosevelt, who visited the town in 1875. It has a water supply system that dates back to the early 19th century. The water supply was first built in the 17th century and is still in use today.

History and Notables

Marion, Virginia is known for being the birthplace of the soft drink Mountain Dew. Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame pitcher, Nolan Ryan, was born in Marion. NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson began her distinguished career by accepting her first job as a teacher at a black public school in Marion in 1937. In 2014 Marion, Virginia officially became the home of the Emory and Henry College School of Health Sciences, located primarily in the former Smyth County Community Hospital building. Back of the Dragon, which has quickly grown into one of the premier riding roads for motorcycles and sports cars in the nation, begins in Marion and ends at the town of Tazewell, Virginia. Marion is home to the T. T. Greer and Company, Henderson Building, Hotel Lincoln, Hungry Mother State Park Historic District, Lincoln Theatre, Marion Male Academy, Norfolk & Western Railway Depot, Preston House, and the Abijah Thomas House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. Marion's typical temperature numbers are usually around 45/25 F in January, and 85/65 F in July. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Marion has a humid subtropical, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps. Marion is located on the Ohio River, which runs through the town of Marion. The town has a population of around 2,000 people. The city is located in the eastern part of the Ohio Valley, near the Ohio Turnpike. The Ohio River flows through Marion, which is located near the town's eastern edge. The river runs through Marion and into the Ohio City area, which was once known as the "Ohio River Valley" and is now called the "Marion River" The city has a low-lying area called the Marion Hills, which has an elevation of about 1,000 feet. The area has a high-level of humidity, with temperatures between 45 and 65 F in January and 85 F in July. It also has a moderate to high level of rainfall, with around 1,500 mm per year in the winter and 1,800 mm in the summer. The climate is humid, with highs of around 45 F and lows of 85 °F in July and August. It has a dry climate, with dry summers and dry winters, and a wet climate in the spring.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Marion, Smyth County, Virginia = 90.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 88. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 50. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Marion = 4.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 5,951 individuals with a median age of 42.7 age the population dropped by -6.86% in Marion, Smyth County, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,347.31 residents per square mile of area (537.98/km²). There are average 2.05 people per household in the 2,543 households with an average household income of $33,267 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.50% of the available work force and has dropped -6.21% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 17.08%. The number of physicians in Marion per 100,000 population = 163.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Marion = 43.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 123. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 189. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 20.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 48, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Marion, Smyth County, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 52.22%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 49 years with median home cost = $106,130 and home appreciation of -2.40%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $6.89 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,456 per student. There are 16.2 students for each teacher in the school, 228 students for each Librarian and 501 students for each Counselor. 3.76% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.98% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.35% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).