HomeSouth CarolinaMarlboro County
Marlboro County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Marlboro County, South Carolina had an estimated 25,498 residents on July 1, 2024, down 4.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 26,669, across 480 square miles. County output reached $965.2 m in 2024, 305 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $6.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Marlboro County
How many people live in Marlboro County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202425,975
- Households9,789
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$34,301
- Median age41.7
- Median gross rent$689 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$82,000
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income24.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree2.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over18,769
- Population under 185,171
- Share under 1819.9 percent
- Population 65 and over4,959
- Share 65 and over19.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,845
- Civilian labor force9,833
- Unemployment rate9.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over47.3 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties36th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1615th of 3,222
Marlboro County is the 36th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 19.9 percent against 19.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Marlboro County
Is Marlboro County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202425,498
- Census 2020 base population26,669
- Population change since the 2020 census base-4.39 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-274
- Births, 2024261
- Deaths, 2024437
- Natural change, 2024-176
- Net domestic migration, 2024-110
- Net international migration, 202414
- Total net migration, 2024-96
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-337
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2938th of 3,144
The county has lost 4.39 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Marlboro County
Where are people moving to Marlboro County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving434
- People arriving, from those returns788
- Tax returns filed by households leaving510
- Net household movement-76
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-554,000
- Average income of an arriving household$33,825
- Average income of a leaving household$29,871
- Largest single originChesterfield County (55 households)
- Largest single destinationScotland County (61 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County | 55 | 95 | $2.0 m |
| Scotland County | 40 | 78 | $1.4 m |
| Florence County | 27 | 61 | $870,000 |
| Richmond County | 24 | 49 | $710,000 |
| Dillon County | 20 | 47 | $699,000 |
Households arriving report $3,954 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 Chesterfield 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.
Marlboro County
What is the Marlboro County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$965.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$914.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.5 percent
- GDP change over five years24.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the South Carolina areas BEA publishes33rd of 46
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1872nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$37,160
Output grew 5.5 percent in the latest year and 24.3 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.
Marlboro County
Employment by industry in Marlboro County
- Covered employment, annual average5,591
- Establishments reporting334
- Average annual pay$53,857
- Average weekly wage$1,036
- Manufacturing, employment1,389
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$68,717
- Retail trade, employment676
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,026
- Transportation and warehousing, employment235
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$67,581
- Finance and insurance, employment83
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$47,346
- Construction, employment70
- Real estate and rental and leasing, employment42
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,389 | 27 | $68,717 |
| Retail trade | 676 | 56 | $33,026 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 235 | 8 | $67,581 |
| Finance and insurance | 83 | 19 | $47,346 |
| Construction | 70 | 16 | $56,475 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 42 | 11 | $89,845 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,389 jobs, 24.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Marlboro County
How many businesses are in Marlboro County?
- Establishments, all industries305
- Employment at those establishments4,718
- Annual payroll$225.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.7
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.
Marlboro County
Building permits in Marlboro County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20246
- Declared construction value permitted$1.1 m
- Single family units authorized6
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$176,869
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.6
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.
Marlboro County
SBA loans in Marlboro County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$661,830
- Median 7(a) approval$460,000
- Largest single approval$2,914,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)65
- Jobs per approval6.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term157 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals20.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (3)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Marlboro County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Marlboro County
Do SBA loans in Marlboro County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
Only 0 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.
Marlboro County
How large is Marlboro County?
- Land area480 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties37th of 46
- Width, east to west27.2 mi
- Height, north to south35.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land54
- Establishments per square mile0.64
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.
Marlboro County
Flood risk in Marlboro County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Marlboro County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 450146
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate60.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Marlboro 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 Marlboro County (community 450146), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Marlboro 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. 60.0 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 Marlboro 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 Marlboro County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202425,975
- Households9,789
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$34,301
- Median age41.7
Common questions
Marlboro County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Marlboro County, South Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 25,498 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 25,975, in 9,789 households, ranking 36th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Marlboro County's population growing?
The population has fallen 4.39 percent since the 2020 census base of 26,669, to 25,498 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 261 births against 437 deaths, with net migration of -96. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Marlboro County?
$34,301. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $82,000, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $689 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Marlboro County?
305 establishments, employing 4,718 people with an annual payroll of $225.9 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 Marlboro County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,389 jobs, 24.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,591 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,857, or $1,036 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Marlboro County?
10 7(a) approvals totaling $6.6 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $460,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Marlboro County?
6 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Marlboro 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 Marlboro County come from?
The largest single origin is Chesterfield County, with 55 households. Arriving households report an average income of $33,825 against $29,871 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Marlboro 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 Marlboro 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.
Marlboro County
Cities and places in Marlboro.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Marlboro County. All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennettsville | city | 7,751 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| McColl | town | 2,200 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clio | town | 840 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wallace | CDP | 665 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Blenheim | town | 82 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tatum | town | 80 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |