MARLBORO COUNTY Revised 7/1/2008
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
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 Numeric Change 2000-2007: 1 28
Population 2000:  28,818 34 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:  -0.44% 46
Population Estimate 2006:  28,954 33 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2007:  0.00% 28
Population Estimate 2007: 28,819 33 Percent Change 2006-2007: -0.47% 40
Persons Per Square Mile 2007:  60.0 27
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980:  11,200 30 Personal Income (PI) 2006: $598,212 36
Jobs 1990:  10,260 32 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2006: 6.5% 44
Jobs 2000:  8,815 36 Per Capita Personal Income  2006: $20,661 46
Jobs 2005: 8,933 33 % of U.S. PCPI 2006: 56% 46
Jobs 2006: 9,050 32 Average Wage Per Job 2006: $30,494 24
Numeric Change Jobs 2005-2006: 117 27 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006:  73% 24
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:  -1.06% 46 Unemployment Rate 2007: 12.2% 1
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 2000-2006: 0.22% 19 Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:  10.9% 2
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2005: $62,811,670 37 Per Capita Assessed Property 2005: $2,180 38
County Base Millage Rate 2007: 0.09431 24 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) 
Value of One Mil 2007: $60,000 36 Local Option Sales Tax: 1.0%
Millage Cap FY09: 2.9% 31 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Net Taxable Sales FY06: $121,002,013 36 School District Sales Tax:  
Admissions Tax Collected FY06: $2,872 40 Transportation Sales Tax:  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY06:  $31,082 33
Financial & Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY06: $20,998,636 30 Per Capita Revenues: $729 10
Total Expenditures FY06: $17,274,720 32 Per Capita Expenditures: $599 17
General Fund Budget FY08:  $9,297,010 40 Per Capita General Fund Budget: $323 40
Total Debt Outstanding FY07: $4,064,139 29 Per Capita Debt Outstanding: $141 24
Payroll FY 2008: $4,402,039 40 Credit Rating(s) FY07
Full-Time Employees FY08:  164 35 Moody's: Baa1
Part-Time Employees FY08 19 39 Standard & Poor:  
Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   5.69 29 Fitch: