| | Marion, NC | Spruce Pine, NC | United States |
| Expend. per Student | $13,298 | $11,736 | $15,905 |
| Educ. Expend. per Student | $10,895 | $11,366 | $13,142 |
| Instr. Expend. per Student | $6,998 | $6,671 | $7,999 |
| Pupil/Teacher Ratio | 13.96 | 13.31 | 16.23 |
| Students per Librarian | 537 | 399 | 4573 |
| Students per Counselor | 296 | 345 | 530 |
| Grade School Educ. | 7.6% | 5.4% | 4.8% |
| Some High School Educ. | 16.7% | 9.9% | 6.3% |
| High School Educ. | 75.7% | 84.8% | 88.9% |
| Some College Educ. | 19.9% | 24.5% | 20.0% |
| 2 yr College Grad. | 9.4% | 19.2% | 8.7% |
| 4 yr College Grad. | 16.1% | 19.2% | 33.7% |
| Masters Grad. | 3.1% | 6.3% | 9.3% |
| Professional Degree | 0.6% | 0.7% | 2.2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 0.1% | 0.6% | 1.5% |