MARION COUNTY 2/2/2010
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
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 Numeric Change 2000-2008: -1,623 44
Population 2000:  35,466 29 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:  0.18% 41
Population Estimate 2007:  33,879 29 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2008:  -0.57% 42
Population Estimate 2008: 33,843 29 Percent Change 2006-2008: -0.11% 36
Persons Per Square Mile 2008:  69.2 26
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980:  12,959 24 Personal Income (PI) 2007: $750,259 31
Jobs 1990:  13,310 26 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2007: 6.6% 41
Jobs 2000:  12,996 28 Per Capita Personal Income  2007: $22,145 40
Jobs 2006: 10,096 31 % of U.S. PCPI 2007: 57% 40
Jobs 2007: 9,766 31 Average Wage Per Job 2007: $27,222 41
Numeric Change Jobs 2006-2007: -330 40 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2007:  62% 41
Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs 1980-2000:  0.01% 42 Unemployment Rate 2007: 14.0% 2
Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs 2000-2007: -3.55% 46 Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:  11.4% 3
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2007: $73,324,435 34 Per Capita Assessed Property 2007: $2,067 42
County Base Millage Rate 2009: 0.11 19 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) 
Value of One Mil 2009: $65,279 34 Local Option Sales Tax: 1.0%
Millage Cap FY10: 3.8% 34 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Net Taxable Sales FY07: $178,777,661 29 School District Sales Tax:  
Admissions Tax Collected FY07: $11,624 38 Transportation Sales Tax:  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY07:  $25,709 35
Financial & Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY08: $18,303,897 34 Per Capita Revenues FY08: $516 36
Total Expenditures FY08: $18,210,258 34 Per Capita Expenditures FY08: $513 35
General Fund Budget FY10:  $16,292,450 33 Per Capita General Fund Budget FY10: $459 21
Total Debt Outstanding FY08: $4,613,723 29 Per Capita Debt Outstanding FY08: $441 4
Payroll FY 2008: $5,391,876 35 Credit Rating(s) FY08
Full-Time Employees FY10:  231 31 Moody's:  
Part-Time Employees FY10: 22 37 Standard & Poor:  
Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   6.51 17 Fitch: AA
updated  2/2/2010