Florida Keys · Monroe County

Living in Marathon, Florida

Marathon is a city in Monroe County, with about 9,914 people.1 It feels small-town or low-density suburban, at 1,174 people per square mile.1,3

9,9141people
$725,8001median home value
$1,633/mo1median rent
45.61median age

Nearest 24-hour emergency room

Fishermen's Community Hospital, listed in Marathon (a small rural Critical Access Hospital).2

Straight-line distance from the town's center; driving is longer. Freestanding ERs and urgent care aren't counted.

Life in the Florida Keys

A 113-mile string of islands tied together by one highway, from Key Largo to Key West.4

Hazards: Hurricanes, with nowhere to go but north on U.S. 1. Irma came ashore at Cudjoe Key on September 10, 2017, as a Category 4 with 130 mph winds; 27,649 homes in Monroe County were damaged and 1,179 destroyed. Leave early when officials order an evacuation; traffic on the single road builds fast.5,6,7,8

Visitor information

Monroe County's official tourism office: The Florida Keys & Key West.9 Ask about local events, things to do and a free visitor guide, if they offer one.

Read the free Florida Keys preview, including the region's state-certified visitor centers.

The full Marathon town card

Choosing Your Place has the complete card for Marathon and 779 other places:

Get Choosing Your Place · $9.99See a full sample card

Other places in Monroe County

Written by Charles Squires, North Port, Florida. 40 years living in Florida, in eight places.

I've lived in Coral Gables, Fort Walton Beach and Destin, Pasco County, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and North Port, and called on thousands of schools across the state for Books Are Fun.

More about the author and how this manual is made

"Median" means half are above and half below. Figures are U.S. Census Bureau estimates for Marathon as a Census-defined place; the area a mailing address calls Marathon can be larger.

Notes

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024
  2. CMS Hospital General Information (Care Compare)
  3. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer files (places)
  4. Overseas Highway (Wikipedia)
  5. Monroe County QuickFacts (U.S. Census Bureau)
  6. Hurricane Irma (Wikipedia)
  7. 1935 Labor Day hurricane (Wikipedia)
  8. Special Needs Registry (Monroe County Emergency Management)
  9. County tourism office websites, each opened or confirmed 2026-11-05