Marion County Demographics

A map of Marion County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Black	15,716	16,333	54.8%	56.0%
White	11,058	11,080	38.6%	38.0%
Multiracial	865	781	3.0%	2.7%
Hispanic	789	710	2.8%	2.4%
Native American/Other	236	151	0.8%	0.5%
Asian	0	128	0.0%	0.4%

Marion County, South Carolina has an estimated population of 28,664, a slight decrease from the 29,183 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 54.8% Black, 38.6% White, 3.0% Multiracial, 2.8% Hispanic, 0.8% Native American/Other, and 0.0% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Marion County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Marion has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is about as diverse as South Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Marion County, that probability was 54.1% in 2020 and 54.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Marion County is ranked the 32nd most populous county in South Carolina, out of 46 counties. Marion County was ranked the 31st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Marion County's White Population

11,058 residents of Marion County, or 38.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Marion County is significantly lower than in South Carolina overall, where 61.9% of the population is White. Marion County ranks 41st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Marion County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Marion County's population has increased from 38.0% to 38.6%.

Marion County is more White than neighboring Williamsburg County (32.2% White), and Marlboro County (38.2% White). Marion County is less White than neighboring Dillon County (44.5% White), Florence County (49.1% White), and Horry County (75.5% White).

Marion County's Black Population

15,716 residents of Marion County, or 54.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Marion County is significantly higher than in South Carolina overall, where 24.6% of the population is Black. Marion County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Marion County's Black population has declined by an estimated 3.8%. Black residents' share of Marion County's population has decreased from 56.0% to 54.8%.

Marion County is more Black than neighboring Dillon County (45.3% Black), Florence County (42.9% Black), Horry County (11.6% Black), and Marlboro County (47.7% Black). Marion County is less Black than neighboring Williamsburg County (63.1% Black).

Marion County's Asian Population

0 residents of Marion County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Marion County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Marion County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Marion County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Asian residents' share of Marion County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Marion County is less Asian than neighboring Florence County (1.6% Asian), Horry County (1.3% Asian), Williamsburg County (0.8% Asian), and Marlboro County (0.4% Asian).

Marion County's Hispanic Population

789 residents of Marion County, or 2.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Marion County is slightly lower than in South Carolina overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Marion County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Marion County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 11.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Marion County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.8%.

Marion County is more Hispanic than neighboring Williamsburg County (2.5% Hispanic), and Marlboro County (2.7% Hispanic). Marion County is less Hispanic than neighboring Dillon County (3.5% Hispanic), Florence County (3.3% Hispanic), and Horry County (7.3% Hispanic).

Marion County's Native American/Other Population

236 residents of Marion County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Marion County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Marion County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Marion County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 56.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Marion County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Marion County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Florence County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Williamsburg County (0.5% Native American/Other). Marion County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Dillon County (2% Native American/Other), and Marlboro County (3.7% Native American/Other).

Marion County's Multiracial Population

865 residents of Marion County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Marion County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Marion County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Marion County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 10.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Marion County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.0%.

Marion County is more Multiracial than neighboring Florence County (2.5% Multiracial), and Williamsburg County (0.9% Multiracial). Marion County is less Multiracial than neighboring Dillon County (4.7% Multiracial), Horry County (3.5% Multiracial), and Marlboro County (7.2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.