Economic Development

About Marion

Marion is the county seat of Crittenden County, Arkansas. Located in the northeastern quadrant of the state, it is 11 miles west of downtown Memphis, Tennessee and about 130 miles east of Little Rock, Arkansas. It lies alongside Interstate 55, two miles north of its junction with Interstate 40.

Demographics (2000 Census)

Census year

Population

% increase

1960

881

1970

1,634

85

1980

2,996

83

1990

4,405

47

2000

8,901

102

Median age (2000 Census)	31.3
County population (2000 Census)	50,866
MSA ( Memphis) population (2000 Census)	1,135,614

Marion (2004 est.)	9,965
Memphis MSA (2004 est.)	1,178,084

Average value of new single-family home, 2000:	$118,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Community Services

Government	Mayor-council; six aldermen representing three wards
Planning and zoning	Coordinated by city planning commission under guidelines set out in city zoning ordinance and comprehensive land use plan
Police protection	17 certified, full-time officers in municipal police department
Fire protection	Volunteer fire department with 2 fire stations, 13 units of firefighting vehicle equipment, and 2 fully equipped basic life support ambulances. All firefighters fully certified through the Arkansas Fire Academy. All emergency medical personnel are certified through the Arkansas Department of Health.
Fire insurance rating	Class 4
Medical	Three physicians and four dentists have offices in Marion. The city is served by Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis, a 152-bed facility offering full surgical, radiological, rehabilitation, obstetrical, critical care and cardiac care. The hospital emergency room is physician-staffed 24 hours a day. West Memphis’ medical community also includes 80 physicians and 21 clinics spanning most specialties. A major regional medical center, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Tennessee medical and dental schools, is located 15 minutes away in Memphis.

Education

Public Schools

Marion School District, ranking 29 th largest in the state, is located 12 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee, in Crittenden County, Arkansas, and has an enrollment of approximately 3,700 students in kindergarten through 12 th grade. The pupil/teacher ratio is 17:1.

Administrative offices for the district are located in the heart of Marion, near the Marion Elementary School campus (grades 2-3). One of the district’s seven campuses is located outside of Marion: Avondale Elementary (grades K-1) is in West Memphis. All other campuses are in a complex on the southern boundary of Marion: Marion Intermediate (grades 4-5), Marion Middle (grades 6-7), Marion Junior High (grades 8-9), and Marion High School (grades 10-12).

A comprehensive curriculum exists in the Marion School District for grades K-12. Special settings are available for children with special needs. Experienced staff helps children of all ability levels succeed. All students are provided differentiated instruction in kindergarten, first, and second grades with identification and placement in the gifted and talented cluster beginning in third grade. Physical education and music are an integral part of the K-12 curriculum. Beginning band starts in sixth grade and formal art instruction begins in seventh grade. A full complement of technical education courses are available in grades 8 through 12, and two years of French and Spanish are options for students in grades 9 through 12. Advanced math and lab sciences are additions to the full slate of core courses available to students who attend Marion Schools.

Mid-South Community College

Founded in 1993, Mid-South Community College had an enrollment of more than 1,500 for the spring, 2006, semester. Degree and certificate programs include Associate of Arts, Associated of Applied Science (Business Technology and Information Systems Technology), Child Care, Computer Network Management and Maintenance, Criminal Justice and Practical Nursing. It also offers workforce development programs and community and continuing education. An adult education program offers literacy, GED preparation, adult education and workplace literacy classes. Upper-level and graduate classes are taught through a cooperative arrangement with Arkansas State University and University of Central Arkansas.

Other nearby colleges and universities

Arkansas State University (Jonesboro, 45 minutes)

University of Memphis (20 minutes)

Rhodes College (Memphis, 20 minutes)

Christian Brothers University (Memphis, 20 minutes)

Crichton College (Memphis, 20 minutes)

Memphis Theological Seminary (Memphis, 20 minutes)

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (Memphis, 20 minutes)

Southwest Community College (Memphis, 30 minutes)

Quality of Life

Recreation Opportunities

Park facilities: Marion has eight community and neighborhood parks, including a recreational complex that is being developed in phases, with the first phase completed.
Organized sports : In addition to school athletic programs, Marion has youth sports leagues that provide basketball, football, baseball and softball to about 2,000 youngsters each year.
Golf course : The Marion Golf and Athletic Club, which is open by membership, also offers tennis, swimming and a fitness center.
Hunting, fishing : Marion is within an hour’s drive of numerous public hunting and fishing areas, including Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge (10 miles north), Horseshoe Lake (25 miles south) and numerous Mississippi River chutes (1 mile east).
Tourism : Marion is within an hour’s drive of a dozen Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi state parks and recreation areas. Memphis tourist attractions include: Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Beale Street, the Memphis Zoo, the National Civil Rights Museum, and Mud Island. Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis is the nation’s largest greyhound racing track.
Arts : Marion is served by the Crittenden Arts Council, an active community arts organization that sponsors the community theater, concerts and art exhibits. There is an active artists’ society. Symphony, ballet, opera and Broadway touring shows are on stage regularly in Memphis.
Esperanza Bonanza Festival : Marion’s community festival, founded in 1993, features a barbecue contest, Cajun boiled crawfish and live music. Held every year in May, attendance tops 15,000. The festival is the winner of the 1995 Arkansas Community Development Award.

Churches

Marion is home to seven churches, representing the Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, Church of God and Church of Christ denominations.
Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal and Catholic churches are located in West Memphis.
The nearest synagogue is in Memphis.
Church-affiliated schools in West Memphis include Catholic and Baptist (grades K-8) and Church of Christ (grades K-12).

Crime Rate

Statistics for 2004 per 1,000 population ( Arkansas Crime Information Center)

Crime	Marion	U.S.
Murder	0	0.05
Theft	3.43	24.5
Rape	0	0.33
Motor Vehicle Theft	0.17	4.33
Robbery	0.1	1.46
Aggravated Assault	0.42	3.09
Burglary	0.18	7.47

Climate Data

Mean daily maximum temperature 72 degrees

Mean daily minimum temperature 52 degrees

Normal humidity (mean daily noon) 57%

Normal humidity (mean daily midnight) 79%

Maximum temperature of 90 degrees and over 53 days

Minimum temperature of 32 degrees and under 45 days

Business Climate

Sales tax 9.750% (state 6%, county 1.75% and city 2%)

Hotel/motel/restaurant tax 1% (city)

State income tax 1-7%, graduated

Property tax (within city

and school district) 46.1 mills ($9.22 per $1,000 market value)

Personal property tax 46.1 mills (charged on vehicles, business equipment, inventory)

City privilege license $10-$1,000, depending on type and size of business

Building permits Based on size of structure

Cost of Living Data

Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Index, 2 nd Quarter 2005

	Total	Grocery	Housing	Utilities	Transportation	Health	Misc.
Memphis , TN	91.4	89.3	83.6	94.0	99.3	103.3	94.4
Jonesboro , AR	84.3	88.2	69.9	90.9	91.1	87.1	90.8

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