Rural living with a sense of seclusion
Home to under 1,200 people, Marion Township embraces a slower pace of life among the verdant landscapes of northwestern Butler County. “Marion Township is very rural. It’s great for people who want to hunt or go four-wheeling and be completely off the grid,” says Debbie King, a Realtor with Re/Max Select Realty and Butler County resident. “The countryside is beautiful, but you’re really more isolated out there.” Farmland and thickets of mature trees occupy most of the town, and residents have access to outdoor activities like hunting, hiking and fishing at the nearby State Game Lands 95. Country roads branch off Pennsylvania Route 58, which bisects Marion Township and connects this remote community to shopping, dining and major highways that are otherwise outside of its daily orbit.
Rustic homes, spacious lots and limited inventory
Single-family homes are spread out among Marion Township’s rolling hills. Traditional farmhouses, ranch-style and split-level homes offer residents plenty of privacy, with a median lot size of just under seven acres. Most properties sit around the village of Boyers, which is in the southeastern corner of the township. Homes typically sell for $130,000 to $300,000, but larger country estates can fetch upwards of $650,000. Limited inventory means that homes rarely come on the market, with only seven homes sold in Marion Township over the last year. “There’s usually not a lot of listings because people stay here for a long time. The listings that you do see are mostly land, not established homes,” says Kelly Raitano, a Realtor with Re/Max Select Realty who has sold several properties in the area. Lot prices range anywhere from $30,000 to $85,000, depending on their acreage, but new construction can be difficult as public utilities, septic systems and paved roads are not always readily available. Marion Township has an overall CAP Index Crime Score of 1 out of 10, the lowest possible score and significantly lower than the national average of 4.
Hunting, fishing and hiking at State Game Lands 95
Marion Township Community Park is in the southeastern corner of town and features a playground, picnic pavilion and two ballfields. With its countryside setting, Marion Township is a popular destination for camping. Visitors can sleep beneath the stars at Jellystone Park™ Kozy Rest, a Yogi Bear-inspired campground open seasonally from April through November. Rental options range from rustic cabins to basic tent sites, and attractions include an outdoor waterpark, an 18-hole mini golf course and various athletic facilities. A tract of State Game Lands 95 is less than 10 miles southeast of Marion Township. Also known as The Glades, it covers a diversity of habitats and is open for hunting during established seasons. “There are a ton of hunting camps out there. Especially during the fall, there’s a lot more traffic around those places,” King says. Native game includes white-tailed deer and ringneck pheasants, and anglers can cast their lines into Glade Dam Lake or Harbar Acres Lake. Both lakes have public boat launches and are stocked with trout by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The North Country Trail winds through the western half of SGL 95, and at 4,800 miles long, it’s the longest trail in the National Trails System.
Career academies at Moniteau Junior and Senior High School
Marion Township is part of the Moniteau School District, which earns an overall grade of C-plus from Niche. Kids can begin their education at Dassa McKinney Elementary School, which scores a B-minus and covers kindergarten through sixth grade. Moniteau Junior and Senior High School receives a C and requires all students to declare a Career Academy during their second semester of eighth grade. These academies are meant to help set high schoolers up for success after graduation, and students can choose from the following three options: the College and Career Academy, Career Cluster Academy or the Career and Technical Education Completer/Concentrator Career Academy. Both schools are less than 15 miles south of Marion Township. The township is also less than 10 miles from Slippery Rock University, which offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs.
Local events at the Boyers Sportsmen’s Association
Community organizations offer small events throughout the year. The Boyers Sportsmen’s Association hosts seasonal festivities like Trunk or Treat, Cookies with Santa and its signature Go-Go Chicken BBQ Dinners. The group also has a small lake where it holds an annual youth fishing tournament. At the Marion Township Volunteer Fire Company, residents can play bingo every other Sunday night.
Shopping and Dining
There are few businesses in Marion Township. The town’s only restaurant is McBride’s Pizza Shop, which offers take-out and delivery. There are several houses of worship in town, including West Unity Community Church and Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church. More shopping and dining can be found in the neighboring borough of Harrisville, about 4 miles west of the township. Dollar General sells the essentials, while Henry’s Meat Market is a go-to spot for fresh cuts of meat. Local favorites for dining include Family Tradition Restaurant, a homey diner serving up comfort foods since 1930. For dessert, there’s Hughes Penn Gold Ice Cream.
Pennsylvania Route 58 connects residents to the borough of Grove City, which is less than 10 miles northwest and offers access to stores like Walmart, Aldi and County Market. The Grove City Premium Outlets are about a 13-mile drive away and feature more than 120 shops and restaurants.
Access to Pennsylvania Route 58 and distance to Pittsburgh
Marion Township lacks public transportation and is heavily car-dependent. Pennsylvania Route 58 winds through the countryside and provides access to nearby highways such as Pennsylvania Route 8, which leads about 25 miles south to the city of Butler. Major thoroughfares are a bit further away, with Interstate 80 about 7 miles north and Interstate 79 about 13 miles west of the township. Pittsburgh is about a 60-mile drive away via I-79, while Pittsburgh International Airport is 72 miles from Marion Township.
