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COUNTY

Marion County

South Carolina · 28,242 residents (2025 est.) · 489 sq mi
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The short version

Marion County is home to 28,664 people in South Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 14% of adults. The poverty rate is 30.0%, above the 12.5% national rate. Households here earn about 48% less than in South Carolina as a whole. The typical home is worth $93,200, having risen by half since 2000. The foreign-born share is 1%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 8%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
28,664
−19%since 2000
from 35,466 in 2000
28,242 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
59 / sq mi
−16%since 2009
from 70 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
42.6
+21%since 2000
from 35.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
489 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
28K30K32K34K36K19902000201020202024Marion County
202429K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(1,471)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.5%(1,855)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(1,818)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.8%(1,668)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.8%(1,661)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.9%(3,126)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.5%(3,587)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.9%(3,421)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.4%(3,854)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.5%(3,865)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846%(1,724)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.1%(614)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$36,301
−25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,526 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$22,884
+65%since 2000
from $13,878 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
19.3%
+5.4 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
30.0%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 23.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.494
+6%since 2010
from 0.465 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade14%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance9.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical8.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade7.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing3.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Other services3.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$93,200
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$669
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $386 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
62.6%
−10.8 ptssince 2000
from 73.5% in 2000
37.4% rent
Vacancy rate
16.0%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 17.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.34 people
−10%since 2009
from 2.59 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.9%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 22.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
30.4%
−6.7 ptssince 2009
from 37.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.6
−2%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
4
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic41.1%(14,589)
Black56%(19,860)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(634)
Asian0.3%(98)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic38.6%(11,058)
Black54.8%(15,716)
Hispanic / Latino2.8%(789)
Asian0%(0)
Other3.8%(1,101)
Diversity Score
69
+5%since 2009
from 66 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
19
+17%since 2020
from 16 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.4%(681)
Puerto Rican0.2%(48)
Colombian0.1%(38)
Cuban0.1%(18)
Asian origin
Chinese0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
English15%(4,299)
American14.2%(4,057)
Irish2.6%(751)
German1.6%(455)
Italian1%(295)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(144)
French0.5%(132)
Polish0.4%(120)
Scottish0.4%(115)
West Indian0.2%(69)
+ 15 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.2%(64)
Jamaican0.2%(56)
Swedish0.1%(28)
Portuguese0.1%(26)
Greek0.1%(20)
Norwegian0.1%(20)
British0.1%(19)
Slovak0%(14)
Haitian0%(8)
Finnish0%(6)
Welsh0%(6)
Russian0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
14.5%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 10.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
86.2%
+18.2 ptssince 2000
from 68.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
6.2%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 3.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.3 min
+61%since 2000
from 17.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
86.0%
+11.8 ptssince 2009
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.4%
−9.7 ptssince 2009
from 17.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
5.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.3%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.2%
−5.8 ptssince 2011
from 13.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
48.9%
−7.5 ptssince 2011
from 56.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
61.7%
−3.0 ptssince 2020
from 64.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.2%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
23.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 22.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
46.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
Female
53.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 53.3% in 2009
Foreign born
1.4%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.5%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
18.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2012
from 18.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
13.7%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 19.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
69.4%
+23.4 ptssince 2017
from 46.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
86.5%
+12.2 ptssince 2020
from 74.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 93.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
96.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2016
from 96.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2016
from 2.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married49.6%(5,419)
Married35.3%(3,861)
Widowed5.3%(583)
Divorced9.8%(1,073)
Women 15+
Never married39.5%(4,976)
Married33.2%(4,175)
Widowed12.5%(1,575)
Divorced14.8%(1,858)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
13.7%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 19.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
32.3%
−4.4 ptssince 2020
from 36.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 12.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
26.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 24.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
34.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 32.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
42.4%
−4.4 ptssince 2020
from 46.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
54.8%
+4.3 ptssince 2020
from 50.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)14.5%(210)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.1%(320)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.4%(484)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.8%(40)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,451 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Marion County

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Pop 35,140
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Pop 28,801
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Pop 21,800
Johnson County
Pop 26,225
Places similar to Marion County
Head to head

Compare Marion County to nearby counties

MARION COUNTY VS
Florence County
Income$58,305+61%
Home value$177,900+91%
Population138,504+390%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MARION COUNTY VS
Dillon County
Income$46,605+28%
Home value$85,400−8%
Population27,458−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MARION COUNTY VS
Horry County
Income$66,880+84%
Home value$287,700+209%
Population427,551+1414%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MARION COUNTY VS
Williamsburg County
Income$46,213+27%
Home value$104,500+12%
Population29,662+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Marion County, South Carolina?

Marion County, South Carolina has about 28,664 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Marion County, South Carolina?

The typical household in Marion County, South Carolina earns about $36,301 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Marion County, South Carolina expensive?

In Marion County, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $93,200, and the typical rent is about $669 a month.

How educated are people in Marion County, South Carolina?

About 14.5% of adults age 25 and over in Marion County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Marion County, South Carolina?

About 30.0% of people in Marion County, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Marion County, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Marion County, South Carolina has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 5,235 residents, a change of about -15 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →