Marion County is a county in South Carolina, United States, on the coastal plain along the Little Pee Dee and Great Pee Dee rivers in the northeastern part of the state. It had a population of 29,183 at the 2020 census and covers 494 square miles (1,280 km2) centred near 34°05′N 79°21′W.
Marion is the county seat, and its postal code is 29571. The county has 2 cities, 2 towns and 4 census-designated places. It observes Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Marion County
Marion County has eight recognized places on the map — two cities, two towns and four unincorporated communities and census-designated places — plus a scatter of smaller crossroads and landings along its rivers and swamps. The table below uses City for the two incorporated cities, Town for the two incorporated towns, and CDP or Unincorp. for everything else.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | City · seat | 6,448 | 29571 |
| Mullins | City | 4,026 | 29574 |
| Nichols | Town | — | — |
| Sellers | Town | — | 29592 |
| Centenary | CDP | — | 29519 |
| Daviston | CDP | — | — |
| Rains | CDP | — | 29589 |
| Zion | CDP | — | — |
| Gresham | Unincorp. | — | 29546 |
| Brittons Neck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gapway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Friendship | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tabernacle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodbury | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pee Dee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Temperance Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Marion | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Mullins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smithboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
Brittons Neck sits on a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Little Pee Dee and Great Pee Dee rivers, and several of the county’s remaining names — Cartwheel Landing, Catfish Landing, Davis Landing, Sampson Landing, Stave Landing — are river landings along that stretch rather than settlements with their own population or ZIP. They’re kept off the table above but are genuinely on the map.
ZIP Codes
- 29571 — Marion (also serves the surrounding rural east of the county)
- 29574 — Mullins
- 29546 — Gresham
- 29592 — Sellers
- 29519 — Centenary (PO Box only)
- 29589 — Rains (PO Box only)
Nichols, Daviston, Zion and the smaller river-landing communities don’t carry a separate ZIP and are served by one of the six post offices above.
Geography
Marion County lies on South Carolina’s flat, sandy coastal plain, drained by the Great Pee Dee River along its western edge and the Little Pee Dee River, which curves through the county’s eastern half before the two rivers meet near Brittons Neck. Swampland and bottomland hardwood forest line both rivers; the higher ground between them is given over to row-crop farming. Of the county’s 494 square miles, about 5 square miles is water.
Marion County borders Dillon County to the north, Horry County to the east, Georgetown County to the south, Williamsburg County to the southwest, and Florence County to the west.
Demographics
Marion County had 29,183 residents at the 2020 census, down from earlier counts, with the population concentrated in Marion and Mullins, the county’s two cities. The county is majority-Black: 56.2% of residents identify as Black or African American, 38.4% as White, and 2.4% as Hispanic or Latino. Median household income in the county runs well below the South Carolina median of $67,804. Population density is roughly 60 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Marion County’s economy centred historically on tobacco, cotton and timber, and agriculture still anchors the rural parts of the county. The county’s largest employers today include Coca-Cola Consolidated, paper manufacturer Domtar, tire maker Goodyear, and Walmart. County GDP was about $728 million in 2022, roughly $25,500 per resident. The county also has an unusually visible Baháʼí community — at 5.5% of residents, it has the highest concentration of Baháʼí followers of any county in the United States.
History
Marion County was established in 1798, originally as Liberty County, and was renamed for Brigadier General Francis Marion, the Revolutionary War partisan leader known as the “Swamp Fox,” who fought in the surrounding Pee Dee swamps. The county seat, Marion, developed as a rail and market town for the surrounding cotton and tobacco farms; Mullins grew the same way around its own rail depot.
Getting There
US Highways 76, 301, 378 and 501 all cross Marion County, along with several state routes.
- Florence — 25 miles west
- Myrtle Beach — 40 miles east
- Dillon — 20 miles north
- Georgetown — 45 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Florence Regional Airport; Myrtle Beach International Airport, further east, offers a larger schedule of flights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Marion County, South Carolina?
It sits on the coastal plain in the northeastern part of the state, along the Little Pee Dee and Great Pee Dee rivers, bordering North Carolina’s Dillon County line to the north.
What is the population of Marion County?
29,183 at the 2020 census.
How big is Marion County?
494 square miles (1,280 km2), of which about 5 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Marion County?
Marion is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Marion County?
Two cities (Marion and Mullins), two towns (Nichols and Sellers), and four census-designated places (Centenary, Daviston, Rains and Zion), plus a number of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Marion County?
29571 (Marion), 29574 (Mullins), 29546 (Gresham), 29592 (Sellers), 29519 (Centenary) and 29589 (Rains).
What is Marion County named after?
Brigadier General Francis Marion, the Revolutionary War militia leader nicknamed the “Swamp Fox,” who operated in the Pee Dee swamps the county sits in.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Carolina.