Marion is a city in Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 28,310 as of the 2020 United States Census. The city is the county seat of Grant County. It is named for Francis Marion, a brigadier general from South Carolina in the American Revolutionary War. The city is home to Indiana Wesleyan University, the largest evangelical Christian university in the Midwest and Indiana's largest private university, when online and regional campuses in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois are included. The traditional campus enrolls about 2,800 students. Since 2016, Jess Alumbaugh has been Marion's mayor. Marion is the birthplace of actor James Dean and cartoonist Jim Davis. It was the location of the wedding of actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett in 1993. Geography Marion is located along the Mississinewa River. According to the 2010 census, Marion has a total area of , of which (or 99.47%) is land and (or 0.53%) is water. Demographics 2010 census As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 29,948 people, 11,828 households, and 6,739 families in the city. The population density was . There were 13,715 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 78.1% White, 14.7% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 2.4% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.5% of the population. There were 11,828 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 36.2 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 16.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female. 2000 census As of the 2000 United States Census, of 2000, there were 31,320 residents. The population density was . There were 13,820 housing units at