Marlboro County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marlboro 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 3 least healthy counties in South Carolina
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F
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in South Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marlboro County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,963 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 53.5 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.81% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,789 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marlboro County declined by 9.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,963 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marlboro County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.7 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,133 19.8% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,635 21.7% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,568 21.4% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,011 19.3% +0.8 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 47.6% of the people living in Marlboro County and men 52.4%.
- Women 47.6% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 52.4% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Marlboro County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Marlboro County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Marlboro County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,094 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 0.76% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marlboro County is about 51% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Marlboro County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $96,855 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $688 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.0% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marlboro County is about 11.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $688 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marlboro County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 186 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marlboro County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.3 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.7 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 186 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,769 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.2% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,541 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 830 | 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 Marlboro County is about the same as 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
Marlboro County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Marlboro County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.5% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Marlboro County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Marlboro County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.7 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.4% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.0% | 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).
Marlboro County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Marlboro County, SC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 25,963 residents against a local median of 42,335. The measure that sets Marlboro County, SC apart most is median household income: $34,094, 27% below the local median of $46,591. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $96,855 against a local median of $115,885, 16% below it. The counties themselves sit within $4,198 of each other on median household income, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Marlboro County, SC, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Marlboro County, SC has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlboro County, SC | 25,963 | $34,094 #6/6 | $96,855 #5/6 | 22.3 min #6/6 |
| Scotland County, NC | 33,590 | $45,742 | $109,821 | 18.5 min |
| Dillon County, SC | 27,862 | $46,591 | $57,413 | 21.1 min |
| Darlington County, SC | 62,559 | $48,955 | $115,885 | 20.4 min |
| Richmond County, NC | 42,335 | $44,874 | $157,265 | 18.8 min |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 43,782 | $49,072 | $244,705 | 20.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marlboro County, South Carolina.
How big is Marlboro County, South Carolina by population?
About 25,963 people live in Marlboro County, South Carolina, in 9,789 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Marlboro County, South Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marlboro County, South Carolina has 54 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 62% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Marlboro County, South Carolina?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($96,855 against $34,094), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $688 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Marlboro County, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Marlboro County, South Carolina is 9.9%, 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 Marlboro County, South Carolina?
7.5% of adults in Marlboro County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 13), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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