City of Marion, IA

01/27/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/27/2026 15:20

Quality of Life in Marion Receives High Marks in the 2025 National Community Survey

Last fall, the City of Marion contracted with Polco and the National Research Center, Inc. to conduct The National Community Survey™ (The NCS™).
The NCS focuses on the livability of communities by categorizing survey questions into ten main facets of livability including economy, mobility, community design, utilities, safety, natural environment, parks and recreation, health and wellness, education, arts and culture, and community connection.
Marion's ratings were then compared to national benchmarks from over 400 communities representing a wide geographic and population range. The results were also compared to a select subset of the database with similar characteristics to Marion; secondary cities (in a metro but not the primary city), similar in both population and annual household income.
Quality of life, safety and neighborhood conditions remain standout strengths in Marion, with about 9 in 10 residents giving positive marks across all measures. City services, cleanliness and health-related services also performed strongly. The vibrancy of the downtown/commercial area and economic development also scored higher than both national and peer benchmarks. Amenities such as housing options, public spaces, cultural activities and opportunities for social engagement, and education further reinforce Marion's positive reputation.
Other results include:
  • 93 percent of residents rated the community as an excellent or good place to live
  • 87 percent rated the overall quality of life positively
  • 93 percent gave Marion high marks as a place to raise children
"It is always gratifying when we see consistently high marks from residents for the level of service they receive and the opportunities their City provides them," said Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly. "Additionally, the areas of opportunity our residents identify are equally powerful. They help us understand where we should direct our attention as we continue shaping the best place in Iowa to raise a family and grow a business."
The survey also identifies key areas for improvement, particularly in the areas of governance, economic perceptions and mobility. Traffic flow, parking and sidewalk maintenance stood out as notable concerns. Additionally, residents expressed growing concern about growth management, environmental preservation, adult education opportunities, and support for vulnerable populations, signaling opportunities for focused attention and future investment.
"We are pleased to partner with communities to measure resident satisfaction," said Lily Vasquez, project manager at Polco. "Nationally, we're seeing declining scores in the areas of governance and economy."
"In Marion's case, and among many of the more than 400 communities we survey, we're noticing a modest reset and period of stabilization in 2025," Vasquez added. "Many communities are finding their survey results are returning to pre-pandemic levels following a period of post-pandemic optimism reflected in the 2023 results."
Of the 131 categories measured and compared to the national and peer communities, Marion was "higher" or "much higher" than the benchmarks for 37 items, "lower" or "much lower" in six categories and similar to the benchmarks in all others.


"Team Marion values resident input and uses it to help shape our community through data-informed decision-making," said City Manager Ryan Waller. "These survey results, along with a decade of trend data, will be used in the coming months to update the City's Strategic Plan and ensure that our areas of focus align with the community's needs."

The five-page survey was administered between October and November 2025 to a random sample of 3,000 households. Five hundred twenty-two responses were received, achieving a margin of error of no greater than +/- 5.8 percentage points. The data was then weighted to reflect the demographic characteristics of the community. At the end of the data collection period, a web-based survey was available to all residents and 440 residents opted to participate.
View the 2025 National Community Survey:
City of Marion, IA published this content on January 27, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 27, 2026 at 21:21 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]