Marion County report shows needs around mental health, housing, health care, and infant mortality

Marion County's 2025 Community Health Assessment was released on Wednesday.

The assessment, conducted by the Marion County Public Health Department, comes out approximately once every five years. It presents a view into the health of Marion County residents by combining data from a large community survey with other sources, like birth and death records and emergency department visits.

Virginia Caine is the director and chief medical officer of the Marion County Public Health Department. She says the report not only details the health status of Marion County residents, but provides in-depth information on their living circumstances and lifestyles.

"These findings should generate action across the community to improve the health of our residents," Caine said.

The report covers a wide range of topics such as mental health, chronic diseases and conditions, HIV, immunizations, the environment, substance use, and gun violence.

The survey asked residents and partners about their experiences to better understand how they feel about Marion County and the community they live in. It shows that residents feel there has been an uneven investment in the community.

When asked what they like most about their community, residents noted they enjoy a sense of community (like looking after one another), safety, diversity, and affordability. Some also noted their neighborhoods were walkable, with sidewalks and bike lanes, and that they have access to grocery stores, libraries, and faith-based institutions.

When asked what they liked least about their community, respondents noted housing was expensive and unaffordable, particularly rental housing, with poor upkeep on some properties. Some noted concerns about crime and violence, busy streets, and lack of grocery stores, walkability, and parks.

The top five concerns identified through the health assessment are mental health and wellbeing, access to health care, housing, trauma and injury prevention, and infant mortality.
 

Key Findings

Mental Health/Wellbeing

• 1 in 4 Marion County residents reported that they have been diagnosed with depression.
• 19% of residents reported symptoms of anxiety.
• From 2018 to 2024, there was a 10% increase in suicide rates for the county.

Access to Health Care

• 1 in 3 residents reported that they have a medical bill that they are unable to fully pay.
• 1 in 5 reported that they did not see a healthcare professional in the past year due to costs.
• Nearly 1 in 5 residents reported they were unable to access prescription medications or took less than directed due to the cost of medicine.

Housing

• 40% of calls to 211 in Marion County in 2023 were related to housing.
• In Marion County in 2023, it is estimated that 48.4% of renters and 19.0% of homeowners spent greater than or equal to 30% of their income on housing.
• Between 2014 and 2023, the estimated median home value in Marion County rose by $121,200 (from $117,500  to $238,700), a 103% increase. In the same time period, the estimated median cost of rent rose from $788 to $1,187, a 51% increase.

Trauma/Injury Prevention

• 25% of residents reported that gun violence has affected them, their friends or family, or their neighborhood.
• The firearm homicide rate was nearly three times higher in Marion County than in Indiana and the United States for 2018-2023.
• 1 in every 4 residents reported that they personally, or their close family or friends, were impacted by substance use.

Infant Mortality

• Marion County's infant death (mortality) rate is higher than that of both Indiana and the U.S. and is highest among Black or African American residents.
• 56.5% of mothers in Marion County began prenatal care during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in 2024.

The full report can be found on the Marion County Public Health Department's website.

Contact WFYI digital producer and reporter Zach Bundy at zbundy@wfyi.org