Marlboro County, SC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 34.60, -79.68.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 8th pct · 2,815th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 2nd pct · 45th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $213,114
- 9th pct · 2,762nd of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 13th pct · 40th of 46 South Carolina counties · median +1.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- South Carolina counties: not published this period
- 40th pct · 1,909th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 20th pct · 37th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
- 49th pct · 1,619th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 44th pct · 26th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $1,061
- 7th pct · 2,828th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 2nd pct · 45th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 4.0
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 $123,044 (Sep 2026), -2.0% over one year, -26.7% over five
- 8th pct · 2,815th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 2nd pct · 45th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $213,114
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Marlboro County, SC | $123,044 · -2.0% 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 $682 a month on $123,044 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,498 a month: 15.2% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $123,044 × 80% = $98,435, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $682/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,038 × 52 / 12 = $4,498) = 15% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $123,044 / ($1,038 × 52) = 2.3
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 #
5,677 jobs at 344 employers (2026 Q1); +4.8% jobs and -4.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 40th pct · 1,909th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 20th pct · 37th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Marlboro County, SC | 5,677 jobs · $1,038/wk · +4.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,310 | $1,354 | 2.87 | +20.0% |
| Retail trade | 698 | $592 | 1.26 | +2.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 93 | $911 | 0.40 | +4.5% |
| Administrative and waste services | 71 | $830 | 0.22 | -17.4% |
| Real estate and rental | 54 | $1,361 | 0.62 | +14.9% |
| Professional and technical services | 47 | $1,520 | 0.12 | -9.6% |
| Management of companies | 4 | $7,916 | 0.04 | +33.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | withheld | |||
| Mining, oil and gas | withheld | |||
| Utilities | withheld | |||
| Construction | withheld | |||
| Wholesale trade | 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 #
D0 abnormally dry
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 |
|---|---|---|
| B. EVERETT JORDAN LAKE AT DAM NR MONCURE, NC | 213.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 130 km |
| LAKE MARION NEAR PINEVILLE, SC | 73.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 136 km |
| LK MOULTRIE AT REDIVERSION NR RUSSELLVILLE, SC | 72.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 137 km |
| LAKE MARION NEAR ELLOREE, SC | 72.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 139 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 #
55 gauges · 0 flooding · 3 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 15 stale
Sites found: 55, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CROOKED CRK BL N MARLBORO ST AT BENNETTSVILLE, SC | stage 13.5 ft | 2 km |
| PEE DEE RIVER NR BENNETTSVILLE, SC | flow 7,750 ft³/s | 10 km |
| PEE DEE RIVER AT CHERAW, SC | flow 6,950 ft³/s · no flooding | 22 km |
| WHITES CREEK NEAR WALLACE, SC | flow 12.0 ft³/s · STALE | 25 km |
| THOMPSON CREEK ABOVE CHERAW, SC | stage 6.74 ft | 26 km |
| Leith Creek above East Church St | no flooding | 28 km |
| BIG SHOE HEEL CREEK NR LAURINBURG, NC | flow 27.9 ft³/s · no flooding | 31 km |
| USGS-342346079261500 | stage 84.5 ft · STALE | 32 km |
| Pee Dee River at Interstate 95 near Florence | no readings | 33 km |
| PEE DEE RIVER NEAR FLORENCE, SC | stage 30.4 ft · STALE | 34 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 #
25 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 25, 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-343715079411500 | depth 3.94 ft · 2009-12-02 | 3 km |
| USGS-342935079431000 | depth 30.2 ft · 2004-12-19 | 13 km |
| USGS-343021079512202 | depth 117.6 ft · 2013-11-06 | 19 km |
| USGS-343736079562200 | depth 15.3 ft · 2014-09-29 | 24 km |
| USGS-344520079281001 | depth 16.1 ft · 2026-10-18 | 26 km |
| USGS-344544079263701 | depth 23.1 ft · 2026-10-18 | 28 km |
| USGS-345812079313401 | depth 32.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 43 km |
| USGS-341144079345001 | depth 44.9 ft · 2009-11-12 | 46 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 #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$304.3 m in deposits at 3 offices of 3 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,423, highly concentrated. $219.5 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $170.3 m, grants $39.9 m), $38,668 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $121.5 m · 39.9% share · 1 office | |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $102.0 m · 33.5% share · 1 office | |
| Carolina Bank & Trust Co. | $80.8 m · 26.6% share · 1 office | |
| Marlboro, SC | $219.5 m FY2026 · $38,668/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $164.0 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $121,512,000 | 39.9% | 1 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $101,956,000 | 33.5% | 1 |
| Carolina Bank & Trust Co. | $80,825,000 | 26.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,423 across 3 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 3 banks with deposits in the county = 39.9² + 33.5² + 26.6² = 3,423
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 | $141,708,612 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $21,211,737 |
| Department of Transportation | $19,656,896 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $18,753,735 |
| Department of Justice | $9,337,732 |
| Department of Agriculture | $4,262,328 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $3,562,477 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,020,576 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $5,634 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $38,668 per covered job, against 5,677 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $219.5 m / 5,677 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $38,668
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 | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| 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 · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +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 | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| 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 | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| 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 | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
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 #
Marlboro County, SC: 15 findings, 3 at a watch level and 12 noted
watchMarlboro County, SC's average weekly wage is -4.4% against a year earlier, a watch level here: average weekly wage below the same quarter a year earlier, before inflation (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; 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.avgWeeklyWage = -4.4 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchMarlboro County, SC's typical home value is -2.0% 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 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -2.0364546890149384 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchMarlboro County, SC's typical home value is -1.4% against the previous month, a watch level here: typical home value at least 1 percent below the previous month (arithmetic on the Zillow ZHVI month columns; 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 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.momPct = -1.3671092871442203 <= -1
- month-over-month percent change = (newest month − previous month) / |previous month| × 100, from Zillow's own published month columns
arithmetic on the Zillow ZHVI month columns; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteMarlboro County, SC's covered employment was 4.8% higher 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
- +4.8 % = 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
noteMarlboro County, SC's average weekly wage was 4.4% 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
- -4.4 % = 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.