Marion County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion County, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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D
Health Well below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in South Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 87% of counties in South Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 87% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,664 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 58.0 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.35% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,177 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County declined by 15.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,664 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marion County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.8% of residents. That is 2.3 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,694 19.9% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,307 18.5% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,915 20.6% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,952 20.8% +2.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 53.1% of the people living in Marion County and men 46.9%.
- Women 53.1% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 46.9% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Marion County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Marion County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Marion County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,420 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.36% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 48% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $132,812 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $668 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.6% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 16.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $668 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 238 hours, about 9.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.5 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 57.0 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 238 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,367 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.2% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,494 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 677 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Marion County is 29 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Marion County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Marion County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.7% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Marion County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.8 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.1% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.4% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Marion County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Marion County, SC is typical in size for this group, 28,664 residents against a local median of 30,282, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Marion County, SC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 37% above the local median of $96,855 at $132,812.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 28.5 min against a local median of 21.1 min, 35% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Marion County, SC reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread $235,528 on median home price, so Marion County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Marion County, SC has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, SC | 28,664 | $36,420 #5/6 | $132,812 #3/6 | 28.5 min #5/6 |
| Dillon County, SC | 27,862 | $46,591 | $57,413 | 21.1 min |
| Florence County, SC | 137,115 | $58,597 | $164,627 | 18.3 min |
| Horry County, SC | 382,931 | $66,773 | $259,566 | 20.9 min |
| Williamsburg County, SC | 30,282 | $45,868 | $24,038 | 30.0 min |
| Marlboro County, SC | 25,963 | $34,094 | $96,855 | 22.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, South Carolina.
How big is Marion County, South Carolina by population?
About 28,664 people live in Marion County, South Carolina, in 12,177 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
How densely populated is Marion County, South Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, South Carolina has 58 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Marion County, South Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($132,812 against $36,420), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $668 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Marion County, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Marion County, South Carolina is 7.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Marion County, South Carolina?
12.7% of adults in Marion County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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