Marion County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45067 Democrat

Located in South Carolina, Marion County has a population of 28,664 residents and a median age of 42.6 years, making it the #1,516 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 30.0%. The median home value is $93,200, and the median household income is $36,301, which is 52% below the national median.

28,664
Population
#1,516 of 3,222
$36,301
Median Income
-51.7% #3,114 of 3,222
42.6 years
Median Age
+9.5% #1,331 of 3,222
30.0%
Poverty Rate
+138.0% #3,085 of 3,222

Demographics

Marion County has a population of 28,664, making it the #1,516 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.6 years, which is 9.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.6%
Native Born
1.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Marion County is $36,301, ranking #3,114 out of 3,222 counties — 51.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 30.0% and unemployment stands at 7.2%.

Income#3,114
$36,301
-51.7%
vs nation
3th percentile
Per Capita#3,066
$22,884
-44.5%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poverty#3,085
30.0%
+138.0%
vs nation
4th percentile
Unemployment#2,835
7.2%
+36.0%
vs nation
12th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Marion County is $93,200 (-66.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $669/mo and the homeownership rate is 62.6%.

Home Value#3,070
$93,200
-66.9%
vs nation
5th percentile
Rent#2,874
$669
-42.5%
vs nation
11th percentile
Homeownership#2,874
62.6%
-2.8%
vs nation
11th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Marion County, 14.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 57.1% below the national average, ranking #2,890 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.5% −57.1% vs nation
Rank #2,890 of 3,222
10th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Marion County is 68.2 years. 26.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,989
68.2
-9.2%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,843
26.1%
+33.4%
vs nation
10th percentile
Diabetes#3,039
15.8%
+41.9%
vs nation
3th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,328
40.1%
+7.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,851
6.5
+14.5%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,316
4.9
+9.2%
vs nation
26th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,209
12.4%
+18.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,955
34.8%
+31.9%
vs nation
6th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,231
16.2%
+12.5%
vs nation
29th percentile

Substance Use

22.3% of adults in Marion County smoke , 42.4% are obese , and 15.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 32.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,741
22.3%
+24.2%
vs nation
13th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,714
42.4%
+11.9%
vs nation
14th percentile
Excessive Drinking#268
15.5%
-22.2%
vs nation
92th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,267
32.0
-0.9%
vs nation
40th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Marion County is 19.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 27.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,446
19.8
+147.5%
vs nation
6th percentile
Suicide Rate#287
12.0
-39.4%
vs nation
89th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,203
28.2
+57.6%
vs nation
11th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,265
27.8
+37.4%
vs nation
20th percentile

Families & Children

35.9% of children in Marion County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 10.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 37.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,280
10.6
+56.5%
vs nation
6th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,715
37.0
+69.2%
vs nation
10th percentile
Child Poverty#3,027
35.9%
+89.0%
vs nation
4th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Marion County is 62.5%. The mean commute time is 31.5 min, which is 14.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
31.5 min +14.0% vs nation
Rank #668 of 3,222
79th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Marion County voted Democratic with a margin of 10.5%. The vote was 54.6% Dem / 44.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 11.0 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +10.5%
54.6% 44.1%
Dem 13,388 votes Rep
2020 DEM +21.5%
60.3% 38.8%
Dem 14,704 votes Rep
2016 DEM +21.7%
59.9% 38.2%
Dem 14,217 votes Rep
2012 DEM +29.9%
64.5% 34.6%
Dem 14,766 votes Rep
2008 DEM +25.8%
62.5% 36.7%
Dem 10,876 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Marion County, South Carolina

Marion County, South Carolina has a total population of 28,664, making it the 1,516th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Marion County is 42.6 years, which is 9.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Marion County is $36,301, which ranks #3,114 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 51.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 30.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.2%.

The median home value in Marion County is $93,200, 66.9% below the national median. Renters in Marion County pay a median gross rent of $669 per month. The homeownership rate is 62.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Marion County, 14.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 57.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.5 min.

Marion County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 54.8% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (38.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).

All data for Marion County, South Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.