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COUNTY

Marlboro County

South Carolina · 25,488 residents (2025 est.) · 480 sq mi
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The short version

With 25,975 people, Marlboro County is a county in South Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 9% of adults. That trails the South Carolina median by roughly 51%. 28.5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The typical home is worth $82,000, having risen by half since 2000. Median household income is $34,301, under the $82,259 national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
9% 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
25,975
−10%since 2000
from 28,818 in 2000
25,488 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
54 / sq mi
−9%since 2009
from 60 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
41.7
+18%since 2000
from 35.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
480 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
26K27K28K29K30K19902000201020202024Marlboro County
202426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(1,335)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.2%(1,093)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.1%(1,837)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.5%(1,157)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.9%(1,784)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.1%(3,653)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(3,312)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.2%(3,160)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.2%(3,685)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.3%(2,940)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.8%(1,517)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(502)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$34,301
−29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,598 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$21,486
+61%since 2000
from $13,385 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
22.8%
+13.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
28.5%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 21.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.499
+9%since 2010
from 0.456 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade29.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance3.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Other services1.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration1.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$82,000
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $49,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$689
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $342 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
63.0%
−7.8 ptssince 2000
from 70.8% in 2000
37.0% rent
Vacancy rate
18.9%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 17.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.40 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.59 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.2%
−7.7 ptssince 2009
from 25.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
36.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 37.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.4
+3%since 2009
from 2.3 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
5
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic44.3%(12,767)
Black50.5%(14,559)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(205)
Asian0.2%(67)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic38.2%(9,934)
Black47.7%(12,400)
Hispanic / Latino2.7%(708)
Asian0.4%(107)
Other10.9%(2,826)
Diversity Score
77
+9%since 2009
from 70 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
20
+27%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
Mexican0.9%(230)
Puerto Rican0.3%(85)
Guatemalan0.2%(47)
Colombian0.1%(24)
Asian origin
Korean0.3%(72)
Filipino0.1%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(14)
Ancestry
American14.2%(3,684)
English13.8%(3,593)
Irish2.4%(621)
German1.9%(505)
Scottish1.4%(364)
Welsh1%(247)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(184)
Italian0.5%(138)
Dutch0.3%(89)
French0.2%(57)
West Indian0.2%(49)
+ 18 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.1%(38)
British0.1%(36)
Czech0.1%(31)
Haitian0.1%(25)
Lithuanian0.1%(24)
Jamaican0.1%(24)
Greek0.1%(18)
Arab0.1%(17)
Moroccan0.1%(14)
Slovak0%(7)
Russian0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
9.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 8.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
79.1%
+18.2 ptssince 2000
from 60.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
2.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 3.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.9 min
+71%since 2000
from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
83.6%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 80.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
3.2%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
15.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 16.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
9.9%
−5.3 ptssince 2011
from 15.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
45.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2011
from 46.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.2%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 66.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.3%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
25.8%
+7.9 ptssince 2009
from 17.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Female
47.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Foreign born
2.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.9%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
20.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2012
from 19.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
12.6%
−5.9 ptssince 2013
from 18.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
70.9%
+17.8 ptssince 2017
from 53.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
84.3%
+9.4 ptssince 2020
from 74.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 88.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
97.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2016
from 95.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.1%
−1.4 ptssince 2016
from 3.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married50.1%(5,780)
Married34.3%(3,959)
Widowed4.2%(480)
Divorced11.4%(1,309)
Women 15+
Never married35.7%(3,638)
Married37.1%(3,781)
Widowed14.8%(1,506)
Divorced12.3%(1,257)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
12.6%
−5.9 ptssince 2013
from 18.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
35.9%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 33.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 11.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
27.0%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 24.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
36.7%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 33.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
44.8%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 42.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
55.5%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 51.6% 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)10.9%(133)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.8%(192)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.1%(343)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0.8%(10)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(18)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,219 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

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Head to head

Compare Marlboro County to nearby counties

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MARLBORO COUNTY VS
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MARLBORO COUNTY VS
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Home value$158,200+93%
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MARLBORO COUNTY VS
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Home value$116,200+42%
Population44,740+76%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Marlboro County, South Carolina?

Marlboro County, South Carolina has about 25,975 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Marlboro County, South Carolina earns about $34,301 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Marlboro County, South Carolina expensive?

In Marlboro County, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $82,000, and the typical rent is about $689 a month.

How educated are people in Marlboro County, South Carolina?

About 9.0% of adults age 25 and over in Marlboro County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 28.5% of people in Marlboro County, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Marlboro County, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Marlboro County, South Carolina has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 3,386 residents, a change of about -12 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 →