Town · Marlboro County, South Carolina

McColl, South Carolina

McColl is a town in Marlboro County, South Carolina. It has 2,200 residents. McColl, South Carolina has a quality-of-life score of 1 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,468 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within South Carolina it ranks #266 of 268 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), effective property tax rate (low) and students per teacher (low). It ranks worst on reading scores (low), broadband subscriptions (low) and bachelor's degree or higher (low).

1Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,468 of 15,651 cities and towns
South Carolina: #266 of 268 in SC
Population: 2,200 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 2,095.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 4543630

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety0#15,569/15,637
Economy3#15,085/15,631
Housing53#6,989/14,977
Health2#15,285/15,609
Healthcare3#15,181/15,650
Environment60#6,118/15,453
Education5#14,822/15,649
Infrastructure1#15,506/15,650
Community3#15,126/15,651
Leisure & amenities1#15,485/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where McColl, South Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Marlboro County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Job growth · high4.8%
98/100South Carolina 0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMarlboro County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.36%
95/100South Carolina 0.49%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Students per teacher · low11.4×
91/100South Carolina 13.8×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsMarlboro County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.1×
88/100South Carolina 3.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100South Carolina 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarlboro County value
Comfortable days · high30.3%
79/100South Carolina 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationMarlboro County value

Weaknesses

Reading scores · low2.20
0/100South Carolina 2.93United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarlboro County value
Broadband subscriptions · low55.8%
1/100South Carolina 88.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Bachelor's degree or higher · low3.0%
1/100South Carolina 32.1%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003High uncertainty
Median household income · low$26,638
1/100South Carolina $72,507United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Primary care shortage · high21.0
1/100South Carolina 9.3United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMarlboro County value
Primary care physicians · low8 /100k
1/100South Carolina 68 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarlboro County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
2,038 (2015-2019) → 2,200 (2020-2024)
+7.9%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Poverty rateWorsening
26.0% (2015-2019) → 41.9% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
37.2% (2015-2019) → 52.9% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
78.6% (2015-2019) → 69.7% (2020-2024)
−8.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
42.4% (2015-2019) → 47.6% (2020-2024)
+5.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Average commute timeWorsening
21.2 min (2015-2019) → 26.1 min (2020-2024)
+23%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, McColl, South Carolina improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Poverty+16 points26.0% → 41.9%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of McColl, South Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.2 min2015-2019	26.1 min2020-2024	+4.9 min	Within the margin of error	10%
Broadband subscriptions	60.1%2015-2019	55.8%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Child poverty rate	37.2%2015-2019	52.9%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Effective property tax rate	0.65%2015-2019	0.36%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	73%
High school diploma or higher	78.6%2015-2019	69.7%2020-2024	−8.9 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	2.1×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	65%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4342015-2019	0.4962020-2024	+0.062	Within the margin of error	12%
Median household income	$30,6002015-2019	$26,6382020-2024	−13%	Within the margin of error	2%
Poverty rate	26.0%2015-2019	41.9%2020-2024	+16 points	Declined	1%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	27.3%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	15.5%2015-2019	17.0%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	29%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like McColl, South Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of McColl, South Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, McColl, South Carolina itself moved −9.5 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,200 residents (±473)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 women (+6.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,200 residents (±473)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

White41%909
Black31%†690
Hispanic or Latino3.2%†70

Education

1,231 residents (±281)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

No high school diploma30%†373
High school or GED52%†644
Some college9.3%

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

776 households (±147)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $25k48%†369
$25k–50k29%†225
$50k–75k13%†100
$75k–100k1.2%†9
$100k–150k6.1%†47
$150k–200k2.8%†22
$200k or more0.5%†4

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $75k–100k (−5.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

776 households (±147)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Own45%353
Rent55%†423

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

274 households (±114)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $75079%†217
$750–1,00012%†34
$1,000–1,5008.4%†

Home values

353 homes (±95)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $150k88%†309
$150k–250k9.6%†34
$250k–400k2.8%†

Age of homes

957 homes (±149)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

2010 or later7.0%†67
2000–20092.9%†28
1980–199937%†358

Size of homes

957 homes (±149)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Studio4.1%†39
1 bedroom9.9%†95
2 bedrooms38%360

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

556 workers (±208)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Drive alone89%†493
Carpool4.7%†26
Public transit0.0%0
Walk4.5%†25
Bike0.0%0
Work from home2.2%†12
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

544 workers (±204)

McColl, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under 15 min5.1%†28
15–29 min62%†337
30–44 min23%†127

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Marlboro County, the county holding most of McColl's residents.

Marlboro County has 305 employer establishments, 118 for every 10,000 residents (0.48× the US rate of 248; 0.52× South Carolina's), with 4,718 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,884. The Census Bureau also counts 1,252 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 305; 1,252 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 118; US 248 · South Carolina 228
Paid employees: 4,718
Average annual pay: $47,884; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marlboro County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	25	9.7	0.47×Fewer than typical	445	$38,993	45
Restaurants and other eating places	23	8.9	0.49×Fewer than typical	315	$15,883	11
Gasoline stations	18	7	2.16×More than typical	97	$23,392	—
Grocery and convenience stores	16	6.2	2.09×More than typical	194	$12,562	10
Religious organizations	16	6.2	1.12×About typical	54	$12,722	—
Limited-service restaurants	15	5.8	0.73×Fewer than typical	291	$15,454	3
General merchandise stores	11	4.3	2.42×More than typical	238	$27,727	5
Health and personal care stores	10	3.9	1.47×More than typical	86	$50,756	8
Truck transportation	10	3.9	0.77×Fewer than typical	144	$66,097	86
Lessors of real estate	9	3.5	0.28×Too few to compare	99	$35,455	44
Pharmacies and drug stores	9	3.5	2.82×Too few to compare	84	$51,643	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	8	3.1	0.71×Too few to compare	31	$44,129	16

Rank places for an industry Open Marlboro County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 25,745 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: McColl is mostly in Marlboro County.

See federal money in Marlboro County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

McColl, South Carolina is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Russell FryR-SC-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Marlboro County1100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Marlboro County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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