MARION COUNTY
Date Formed:  1800
Land Area (square miles): 489
County Seat: Marion
Other Cities and Towns:
Mullins, Nichols, Sellers
Form of Government: Council-Administrator
Council Members: 7
Method of Election Single Member
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Pee Dee
County History According to the South Carolina State Library Reference Room
Marion County and its county seat were named for Revolutionary War general Francis Marion (1732-1795), known as the "Swamp Fox." In 1785 Liberty County was created as a part of Georgetown District; renamed Marion, it became a separate district in 1800. Parts of Marion later went to form Florence (1888) and Dillon (1910) counties. English settlers moved up the Great Pee Dee River into this area in the eighteenth century. During the Revolutionary War General Marion's men fought several skirmishes with the British here before retreating to their camp at Snows Island. In the twentieth century Marion County became a major tobacco growing region. Writers Virginia Durant Young (1842-1906) and Gwen Bristow (1903-1980) were natives of Marion County.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Population 1980: 34,179 27 Numeric Change 1980-2000: 1,287 39
Population 1990: 33,899 28 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000: 0.18% 41
Population 2000:  35,466 29 Percent Change 2005-2006: -0.3% 40
Population Estimate 2005: 34,798 29 Persons Per Square Mile 2006: 70.9 26
Population Estimate 2006: 34,684 29
Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Community Profile Demographic Data
Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Kids Count
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980: 12,959 24 Personal Income 2005: $712,854 29
Jobs 1990: 13,310 26 Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2005: $20,485 41
Jobs 2000: 12,996 28 % of U.S. PCPI 2005: 59% 41
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:  0.01% 42 Average Wage Per Job 2005:  $25,698 40
Jobs 2004: 10,964 29 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2005:  64% 40
Jobs 2005: 10,400 31 Avg. Unemployment 1996-2006:  11.5% 1
Numeric Change 2004-2005: -564 45 Unemployment Rate 2006 Ann. Avg: 12.2% 1
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2004: $74,563,593 33 Per Capita Assessed Property 2004: $2,102 39
County Base Millage Rate* 2006: 0.097 23 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)
Value of One Mil 2006: $64,000 34 Local Option Sales Tax: 1%
Net Taxable Sales FY 2005: $195,224,525 29 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Admissions Taxes Collected FY 2005: $11,059 37 School District Sales Tax:  
Accomodations Taxes Collected FY 2005: $22,537 36 Transportation Sales Tax:  
* County Base Millage Rate reflects county mils only and does not include millages charged by other taxing entities (cities, schools, etc.)
Link to SC Employment Security Commission - Top Employers by County
Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Community Profile Demographic Data
Financial and Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY 2004: $14,199,930 34 Per Capital Revenues: $400 39
Total Expenditures FY 2004: $15,035,247 31 Per Capita Expenditures: $424 24
General Fund Budget FY 2007: $13,199,716 34 Per Capita General Fund Budget: $372 22
Total Debt Outstanding FY 2006: $3,640,505 33 Per Capita Debt Outstanding: $104 33
Credit Ratings(s) FY 2006: Payroll FY 2007: $4,755,328 37
 Moodys:   Full-Time Employees FY 2007:  215 29
Standard & Poor:   Part-Time Employees FY 2007: 24 33
Fitch: AA Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   6.06 18
Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Local Government Finance Report (Full document in Excel)
Sources:  County histories obtained from the South Carolina State Library Reference Room at http://www.state.sc.us/scsl/cnties.html. All other sources are listed in the appendix tables.
Updated 9/12/2007 16:25
Back to County Profile Directory Page