Marlboro County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45069 Democrat

Located in South Carolina, Marlboro County has a population of 25,975 residents and a median age of 41.7 years, making it the #1,615 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 28.5%. The median home value is $82,000, and the median household income is $34,301, which is 54% below the national median.

25,975
Population
#1,615 of 3,222
$34,301
Median Income
-54.4% #3,127 of 3,222
41.7 years
Median Age
+7.2% #1,606 of 3,222
28.5%
Poverty Rate
+126.2% #3,068 of 3,222

Demographics

Marlboro County has a population of 25,975, making it the #1,615 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.9%
Native Born
2.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Marlboro County is $34,301, ranking #3,127 out of 3,222 counties — 54.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 28.5% and unemployment stands at 9.9%.

Income#3,127
$34,301
-54.4%
vs nation
3th percentile
Per Capita#3,103
$21,486
-47.9%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poverty#3,068
28.5%
+126.2%
vs nation
5th percentile
Unemployment#3,090
9.9%
+87.1%
vs nation
4th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Marlboro County is $82,000 (-70.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $689/mo and the homeownership rate is 63.0%.

Home Value#3,156
$82,000
-70.9%
vs nation
2th percentile
Rent#2,793
$689
-40.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Homeownership#2,858
63.0%
-2.2%
vs nation
11th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Marlboro County, 9.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 73.4% below the national average, ranking #3,199 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
9.0% −73.4% vs nation
Rank #3,199 of 3,222
1th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Marlboro County is 69.1 years. 28.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,935
69.1
-8.0%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,990
28.1%
+43.6%
vs nation
5th percentile
Diabetes#3,053
16.0%
+43.7%
vs nation
3th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,054
44.6%
+19.5%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,499
6.1
+8.3%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,656
5.2
+15.5%
vs nation
16th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,079
11.7%
+11.7%
vs nation
34th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,079
37.3%
+41.4%
vs nation
2th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,749
18.5%
+28.4%
vs nation
13th percentile

Substance Use

25.7% of adults in Marlboro County smoke , 46.0% are obese , and 16.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,047
25.7%
+43.1%
vs nation
3th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,072
46.0%
+21.3%
vs nation
2th percentile
Excessive Drinking#422
16.3%
-18.0%
vs nation
87th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#997
26.9
-16.8%
vs nation
53th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Marlboro County is 24.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 35.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,482
24.4
+205.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Suicide Rate#434
13.0
-33.9%
vs nation
83th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,232
29.1
+62.9%
vs nation
10th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,622
35.8
+76.8%
vs nation
7th percentile

Families & Children

35.6% of children in Marlboro County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 11.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 38.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,307
11.5
+69.3%
vs nation
4th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,762
38.1
+74.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Child Poverty#3,017
35.6%
+87.4%
vs nation
4th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Marlboro County is 54.9%. The mean commute time is 29.1 min, which is 5.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
54.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.1 min +5.5% vs nation
Rank #1,028 of 3,222
68th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Marlboro County voted Democratic with a margin of 2.4%. The vote was 50.6% Dem / 48.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.5 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +2.4%
50.6% 48.2%
Dem 10,152 votes Rep
2020 DEM +10.9%
55% 44.1%
Dem 11,446 votes Rep
2016 DEM +16.2%
57.3% 41.1%
Dem 10,353 votes Rep
2012 DEM +30.4%
64.8% 34.4%
Dem 11,657 votes Rep
2008 DEM +6.1%
52.7% 46.6%
Dem 5,232 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Marlboro County, South Carolina

Marlboro County, South Carolina has a total population of 25,975, making it the 1,615th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Marlboro County is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Marlboro County is $34,301, which ranks #3,127 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 54.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 28.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.9%.

The median home value in Marlboro County is $82,000, 70.9% below the national median. Renters in Marlboro County pay a median gross rent of $689 per month. The homeownership rate is 63.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Marlboro County, 9.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 73.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.1 min.

Marlboro County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 47.7% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (38.2%) and Two or More Races (7.2%).

All data for Marlboro 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.