Marion County, SC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 34.08, -79.35.
Assembled 2026-10-07. Read the brief.
- 12th pct · 2,693rd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 15th pct · 39th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $218,959
- 9th pct · 2,769th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 17th pct · 38th of 46 South Carolina counties · median +1.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- South Carolina counties: not published this period
- 42nd pct · 1,844th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 24th pct · 35th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
- 27th pct · 2,341st of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 13th pct · 40th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $1,061
- 16th pct · 2,544th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 15th pct · 39th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 4.1
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $140,512 (Aug 2026), -2.2% over one year, +11.8% over five
- 12th pct · 2,693rd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 15th pct · 39th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $218,959
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Marion County, SC | $140,512 · -2.2% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Zillow publishes no rent index for this area (ZORI covers about 1,400 counties)
- US counties: not published this period
- South Carolina counties: not published this period
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $769 a month on $140,512 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,073 a month: 18.9% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $140,512 × 80% = $112,409, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $769/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $940 × 52 / 12 = $4,073) = 19% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $140,512 / ($940 × 52) = 2.9
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
6,169 jobs at 458 employers (2026 Q1); -10.2% jobs and +3.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 42nd pct · 1,844th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 24th pct · 35th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Marion County, SC | 6,169 jobs · $940/wk · -10.2% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 860 | $543 | 1.43 | -7.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 587 | $466 | 1.06 | +0.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 397 | $1,275 | 1.53 | +9.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 348 | $580 | 0.99 | -2.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 253 | $1,288 | 1.01 | -20.7% |
| Construction | 148 | $966 | 0.46 | -2.6% |
| Professional and technical services | 85 | $850 | 0.20 | +6.2% |
| Management of companies | 29 | $1,081 | 0.28 | +3.6% |
| Real estate and rental | 28 | $824 | 0.30 | -20.0% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 13 | $542 | 0.13 | +0.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | withheld | |||
| Mining, oil and gas | withheld |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D2 severe drought
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
4 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 4, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| LK MOULTRIE AT REDIVERSION NR RUSSELLVILLE, SC | 71.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 97 km |
| LAKE MARION NEAR PINEVILLE, SC | 72.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 103 km |
| LAKE MOULTRIE NEAR PINOPOLIS, SC | 72.7 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 110 km |
| LAKE MARION NEAR ELLOREE, SC | 71.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 122 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
53 gauges · 0 flooding · 14 with quality panels averaging 81 % · 15 stale
Sites found: 53, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| WACCAMAW RIVER NEAR PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC | stage 6.86 ft · quality 50 % (2) | 68 km |
| WACCAMAW R NR HAGLEY LAND. NR PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC | flow 60,600 ft³/s · quality 50 % (3) | 73 km |
| AIW AT HIGHWAY 9 AT NIXONS CROSSROADS, SC | flow 2,900 ft³/s · quality 50 % (3) | 69 km |
| LITTLE PEE DEE R. AT GALIVANTS FERRY, SC | flow 254.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (5) | 10 km |
| CHINNERS SWAMP NEAR AYNOR, SC | flow 744.0 ft³/s · STALE | 16 km |
| PEE DEE RIVER BELOW PEE DEE, SC | flow 3,780 ft³/s | 20 km |
| PEE DEE RIVER AT US378 ABOVE POSTON, SC | stage 10.9 ft | 21 km |
| LITTLE PEE DEE RIVER NEAR NICHOLS,SC | stage 6.05 ft | 22 km |
| PEE DEE RIVER AT PEEDEE, SC | flow 3,830 ft³/s | 22 km |
| CATFISH CANAL AT SELLERS, SC | flow 16.0 ft³/s · STALE | 24 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
14 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 14, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-341144079345001 | depth 44.9 ft · 2009-11-12 | 24 km |
| USGS-335143079195000 | depth 42.5 ft · 2001-09-29 | 25 km |
| USGS-341949079171304 | depth 5.40 ft · 2026-10-06 | 28 km |
| USGS-335115079033500 | depth 57.7 ft · 1992-09-29 | 38 km |
| USGS-334410079310200 | depth 55.1 ft · 1992-09-29 | 42 km |
| USGS-340806079563100 | depth 36.8 ft · 2005-09-29 | 54 km |
| USGS-342935079431000 | depth 30.2 ft · 2004-12-19 | 57 km |
| USGS-334747078435400 | depth 60.2 ft · 1992-09-29 | 66 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
moderate (0.39)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.19 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$618.4 m in deposits at 10 offices of 5 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 4,873, highly concentrated. $382.6 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $209.2 m, contracts $166.9 m), $62,017 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson Brothers Bank | $403.7 m · 65.3% share · 5 offices | |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $145.2 m · 23.5% share · 2 offices | |
| Carolina Bank & Trust Co. | $37.5 m · 6.1% share · 1 office | |
| Marion, SC | $382.6 m FY2026 · $62,017/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $204.7 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Brothers Bank | $403,731,000 | 65.3% | 5 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $145,240,000 | 23.5% | 2 |
| Carolina Bank & Trust Co. | $37,528,000 | 6.1% | 1 |
| Pee Dee Federal Savings Bank | $29,366,000 | 4.7% | 1 |
| Woodforest National Bank | $2,540,000 | 0.4% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 4,873 across 5 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 5 banks with deposits in the county = 65.3² + 23.5² + 6.1² + … (2 more) = 4,873
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $172,875,561 |
| Department of Defense | $166,897,954 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $30,915,816 |
| Department of Transportation | $3,995,692 |
| Department of Agriculture | $3,824,346 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $3,080,689 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $845,244 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $75,000 |
| Department of Education | $73,010 |
| Department of Energy | $0 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $62,017 per covered job, against 6,169 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $382.6 m / 6,169 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $62,017
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 12.69 | 2026-10-05 | +3.3% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.60 | 2026-10-06 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 3.00 | 2026-10-06 | -50.0% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 96.16 | 2026-09-29 | -3.2% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.28 | 2026-10-01 | +3.6% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 646,347.00 | 2026-08-01 | +1.1% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Marion County, SC: 13 findings, 1 at an alert level, 3 at a watch level and 9 noted
alertMarion County, SC's covered employment is -10.2% against a year earlier, an alert level here: covered employment at least 3 percent below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -10.2 <= -3
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchMarion County, SC's covered employment is -10.2% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -10.2 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchMarion County, SC's typical home value is -2.2% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -2.2107974953056253 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchMarion County, SC's momentum index is -0.28, a watch level here: momentum index in the cooling band (the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: momentum = -0.27900853905000245 <= -0.25
- momentum = Σ wᵢ · clip(changeᵢ / scaleᵢ, −1, 1) / Σ wᵢ over the terms present; weights and scales: home value 1-yr change 0.3 (±10%), rent 1-yr change 0.15 (±10%), jobs over-the-year change 0.3 (±3%), avg weekly wage over-the-year change 0.25 (±6%)
the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteMarion County, SC's covered employment was 10.2% lower than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- -10.2 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
Read all 12 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.