HomeSouth CarolinaMarion County
Marion County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Marion County, South Carolina has a population of 28,664 across 489 square miles, down 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
105 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Marion County
How many people live in Marion County
- Population28,664
- 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-equivalents1516th
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 an affordable ownership market 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.78 percent
- Census 2020 base population29,179
- 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
The county has lost 2.78 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Marion County
Where people moving to Marion County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving661
- People arriving, from those returns1,253
- Adjusted gross income arriving$29.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$43,971
- Largest single originMarion County Non-migrants (10,447 households)
- Largest single destination (10,447 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County Non-migrants | 10,447 | 20,345 | $417.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 251 | 449 | $11.2 m |
| Horry County | 161 | 326 | $4.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 145 | 272 | $6.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 83 | 150 | $4.7 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 80 | 134 | $3.7 m |
| Dillon County | 72 | 159 | $2.3 m |
| Florence County | 68 | 123 | $2.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Marion County Non-migrants, 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 the Marion County economy runs on
- 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 South Carolina counties37th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1929th
- 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
Who employs people in Marion County
- Covered employment, annual average7,064
- Establishments reporting469
- Average annual pay$46,706
- Average weekly wage$898
- Sector 62, employment1,159
- Sector 62, average annual pay$57,119
- Sector 44-45, employment946
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$27,675
- Sector 31-33, employment754
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$52,987
- Sector 48-49, employment579
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$53,592
- Sector 52, employment319
- Sector 56, employment270
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,159 | 61 | $57,119 |
| Sector 44-45 | 946 | 92 | $27,675 |
| Sector 31-33 | 754 | 20 | $52,987 |
| Sector 48-49 | 579 | 18 | $53,592 |
| Sector 52 | 319 | 36 | $61,646 |
| Sector 56 | 270 | 18 | $34,180 |
| Sector 23 | 189 | 27 | $56,933 |
| Sector 42 | 108 | 16 | $58,556 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,159 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Marion County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Marion County
What is being built in Marion County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202476
- Declared construction value permitted$10.3 m
- Single family units authorised76
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$135,152
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Marion County
How much SBA lending happens in Marion County
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$421,714
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,125,000
- 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
- Leading industry by approval countNursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (2)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (2)
The average approval of $421,714 sits close to the median of $350,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 14.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
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
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Marion County
Which parts of Marion County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Mullins, approvals4
- MARION, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Mullins | 4 | $1,602,000 |
| MARION | 3 | $1,350,000 |
Mullins accounts for 4 approvals against 3 in MARION. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Marion County
How big 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population28,664
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has fallen 2.78 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Marion County?
Average annual pay is $46,706, or $898 a week, across 7,064 covered jobs. 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 totalling $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.
What is being built in Marion County?
76 housing units were authorised 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 Marion County Non-migrants, with 10,447 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,971 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.