Marlboro County, South Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 74.1 | 25,704 people · 5th most distressed in South Carolina
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Marlboro County, SC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 74.1 — 83rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within South Carolina, it ranks 5th of 46 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Marlboro County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 96.4 — worse than roughly 96% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 96.4
Poverty Rate 97
Income vs. State Median 96
Child Poverty Rate 96
Debt & Delinquency 89.7
Debt in Collections 100
Medical Debt 87
Student Loan Delinquency 99
Auto Loan Delinquency 97
Credit Card Delinquency 99
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 56
Community Vulnerability 79.1
Uninsured Rate 85
Disability Rate 73
Employment & Wages 54.3
Unemployment Rate 99
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 9
Business Formation Rate 56
Housing Cost Burden 51.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 17
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 38
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 28
Homeownership Rate 89
Rent-to-Income Ratio 83

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Marlboro County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Marlboro County
Marlboro County, SC 74.1 Serious —
Scotland County, NC 76.8 Serious +2.7
Robeson County, NC 76.3 Serious +2.2
Anson County, NC 75.5 Serious +1.5
Dillon County, SC 72.8 Serious -1.3
Darlington County, SC 69.4 Serious -4.7
Richmond County, NC 68.6 Serious -5.5
Chesterfield County, SC 68.3 Serious -5.8
Florence County, SC 63.4 Elevated -10.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Marlboro County
Brooks County, GA 74.0 Serious -0.1
Sumter County, GA 73.9 Serious -0.2
Bamberg County, SC 74.4 Serious +0.3
Hertford County, NC 74.4 Serious +0.3
Okfuskee County, OK 74.5 Serious +0.5

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Marlboro County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Marlboro County

Find an Attorney

South Carolina Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

South Carolina Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 803-799-7100

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Marlboro County residents at no cost.

SC Legal Services (Palmetto Legal Services / Greater Columbia Community Relations Council) 1-888-346-5592
Upstate Legal Services 864-679-3232
Pro Bono Legal Services — SC Bar 803-799-6653
Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services 843-853-3304
South Carolina Legal Services, Inc. (888) 346-5592

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Marlboro County, South Carolina?

    Marlboro County has a County Distress Index score of 74.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 83rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in South Carolina out of 46 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Marlboro County?

    The primary driver of distress in Marlboro County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 96.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Marlboro County compare to neighboring counties?

    Marlboro County (74.1) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Scotland County, NC (76.8); Robeson County, NC (76.3); Anson County, NC (75.5).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Marlboro County?

    Marlboro County, South Carolina has a population of approximately 25,704 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.