HomeSouth CarolinaMarion County
Marion County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Marion County, South Carolina had an estimated 28,368 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 29,179, across 489 square miles. County output reached $900.7 m in 2024, 489 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $3.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Marion County
How many people live in Marion County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202428,664
- Households12,177
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$36,301
- Median age42.6
- Median gross rent$669 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$93,200
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over20,191
- Population under 186,333
- Share under 1822.1 percent
- Population 65 and over6,203
- Share 65 and over21.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,128
- Civilian labor force11,230
- Unemployment rate7.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.3 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties32nd of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1516th of 3,222
Marion County is the 32nd largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.1 percent against 21.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Marion County
Is Marion County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202428,368
- Census 2020 base population29,179
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.78 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-154
- Births, 2024286
- Deaths, 2024519
- Natural change, 2024-233
- Net domestic migration, 202475
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 202477
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202458
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2697th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.78 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Marion County
Where are people moving to Marion County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving661
- People arriving, from those returns1,253
- Tax returns filed by households leaving587
- Net household movement74
- Adjusted gross income arriving$29.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$8.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$43,971
- Average income of a leaving household$34,963
- Largest single originHorry County (161 households)
- Largest single destinationFlorence County (134 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horry County | 161 | 326 | $4.9 m |
| Dillon County | 72 | 159 | $2.3 m |
| Florence County | 68 | 123 | $2.4 m |
| Richland County | 26 | 50 | $461,000 |
Households arriving report $9,008 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Horry County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Marion County
What is the Marion County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$900.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$812.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.8 percent
- GDP change over five years39.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the South Carolina areas BEA publishes37th of 46
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1929th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$31,424
Output grew 10.8 percent in the latest year and 39.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Marion County
Employment by industry in Marion County
- Covered employment, annual average7,064
- Establishments reporting469
- Average annual pay$46,706
- Average weekly wage$898
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,159
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$57,119
- Retail trade, employment946
- Retail trade, average annual pay$27,675
- Manufacturing, employment754
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,987
- Transportation and warehousing, employment579
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$53,592
- Finance and insurance, employment319
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment270
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,159 | 61 | $57,119 |
| Retail trade | 946 | 92 | $27,675 |
| Manufacturing | 754 | 20 | $52,987 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 579 | 18 | $53,592 |
| Finance and insurance | 319 | 36 | $61,646 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 270 | 18 | $34,180 |
| Construction | 189 | 27 | $56,933 |
| Wholesale trade | 108 | 16 | $58,556 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,159 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Marion County
How many businesses are in Marion County?
- Establishments, all industries489
- Employment at those establishments4,965
- Annual payroll$172.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Marion County
Building permits in Marion County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202476
- Declared construction value permitted$10.3 m
- Single family units authorized76
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$135,152
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.2
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Marion County
SBA loans in Marion County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$421,714
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- Largest single approval$1,125,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)160
- Jobs per approval22.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Marion County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Marion County
Do SBA loans in Marion County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Only 5 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Marion County
SBA lending by place in Marion County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Mullins, approvals4
- Marion, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Mullins | 4 | $1,602,000 |
| Marion | 3 | $1,350,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Marion County
How large is Marion County?
- Land area489 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties36th of 46
- Width, east to west25.4 mi
- Height, north to south41.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land59
- Establishments per square mile1.00
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Marion County
Flood risk in Marion County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Marion County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 450141
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Marion County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Marion County (community 450141), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Marion County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Marion County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Marion County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202428,664
- Households12,177
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$36,301
- Median age42.6
Common questions
Marion County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Marion County, South Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 28,368 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 28,664, in 12,177 households, ranking 32nd of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Marion County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.78 percent since the 2020 census base of 29,179, to 28,368 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 286 births against 519 deaths, with net migration of 77. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Marion County?
$36,301. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $93,200, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $669 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Marion County?
489 establishments, employing 4,965 people with an annual payroll of $172.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Marion County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,159 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,064 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,706, or $898 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Marion County?
7 7(a) approvals totaling $3.0 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Marion County?
76 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $10.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Marion County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Marion County come from?
The largest single origin is Horry County, with 161 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,971 against $34,963 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Marion County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Marion County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Marion County
Cities and places in Marion.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Marion County. All 8 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | city | 6,206 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Mullins | city | 3,914 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Daviston | CDP | 262 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nichols | town | 240 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sellers | town | 192 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Centenary | CDP | 191 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rains | CDP | 84 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Zion | CDP | 76 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |