MARLBORO COUNTY
Date Formed:  1785
Land Area (square miles): 480
County Seat: Bennettsville
Other Cities and Towns:
Blenheim, Clio, McColl, Tatum
Form of Government: Council-Administrator
Council Members: 8
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
Marlboro County was named for John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722). The county name was originally spelled Marlborough, but it was later shortened. The county was created in 1785 as a part of Cheraws District. Welsh Baptists from Delaware settled in an area of the county known as Welsh Neck around 1737, and they were later joined by English and Scotch-Irish settlers. Cotton growing made this a wealthy part of the state prior to the Civil War. The town of Blenheim was also known for its mineral springs. General Sherman's troops passed through the county in 1865, briefly occupying the town of Bennettsville. Some famous Marlboro County natives are U.S. Congressman and diplomat Robert Blair Campbell (1791-1862), U.S. and Confederate Congressman John McQueen (1804-1867), and children's advocate Marian Wright Edelman.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Population 1980: 31,634 29 Numeric Change 1980-2000: -2,816 46
Population 1990: 29,361 32 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000: -0.44% 46
Population 2000:  28,818 34 Percent Change 2005-2006: 4.9% 2
Population Estimate 2005: 27,722 34 Persons Per Square Mile 2006: 60.7 27
Population Estimate 2006: 29,152 33
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: 11,200 30 Personal Income 2005: $572,262 36
Jobs 1990: 10,260 32 Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2005: $22,286 34
Jobs 2000: 8,815 36 % of U.S. PCPI 2005: 60% 39
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:  -1.06% 46 Average Wage Per Job 2005:  $29,367 24
Jobs 2004: 8,751 34 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2005:  73% 24
Jobs 2005: 8,933 33 Avg. Unemployment 1996-2006:  11.0% 3
Numeric Change 2004-2005: 182 18 Unemployment Rate 2006 Ann. Avg: 11.1% 3
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2004: $59,959,700 36 Per Capita Assessed Property 2004: $2,081 40
County Base Millage Rate* 2006: 0.08671 25 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)
Value of One Mil 2006: $55,000 37 Local Option Sales Tax: 1%
Net Taxable Sales FY 2005: $121,002,013 36 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Admissions Taxes Collected FY 2005: $2,872 40 School District Sales Tax:  
Accomodations Taxes Collected FY 2005: $31,082 33 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: $10,464,986 41 Per Capital Revenues: $363 43
Total Expenditures FY 2004: $10,623,880 40 Per Capita Expenditures: $369 37
General Fund Budget FY 2007: $8,998,294 39 Per Capita General Fund Budget: $312 38
Total Debt Outstanding FY 2006: $692,493 43 Per Capita Debt Outstanding: $25 45
Credit Ratings(s) FY 2006: Payroll FY 2007: $3,913,502 41
 Moodys: Baa2 Full-Time Employees FY 2007:  164 36
Standard & Poor:   Part-Time Employees FY 2007: 19 35
Fitch:   Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   5.69 23
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 9/19/2007 15:37
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