Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bennettsville earns a D−, 162nd among South Carolina's 167 graded towns, mostly because of safety and incomes. Its crime rate is higher than 97% of U.S. towns, with 36 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. The median household income is $37K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: 18% of its land is conserved. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Bennettsville, above both the South Carolina town median (17%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Bennettsville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Robertson-Easterling-McLaurin House and Jennings-Brown House.
Where Bennettsville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 343 in 1880, a peak of 9,425 in 2000, 7,020 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1853 and 3 maps from 1942 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Bennettsville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bennettsville, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Bennettsville.
Bennettsville is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Cheraw and other neighbors, but it has poverty well above the South Carolina rate.
Reported crimes fell from 363 to 274 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Bennettsville is 31.7 per 1,000 residents. Bennettsville reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less. The violent crime rate in Bennettsville is 4.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Bennettsville | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 31.7 per 1,000 residents | 21.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Marlboro 01 school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Marlboro County High, with 987 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennettsville PrimaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 552 | D |
| Marlboro County HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 987 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
The typical value, about $118K, is 28% below its October 2022 peak. At about $118K, home values are down 16% in five years, against a rise of 24% across South Carolina.
The typical Bennettsville home is worth about $118,000, up 4.2% in a year, 61% below the South Carolina typical home. 45% of households own their home in Bennettsville. Among 166 South Carolina towns, just 9 have a lower median rent than Bennettsville.
| Bennettsville | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 45% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $671 a month | $1,062 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 1,654 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bennettsville’s, it is healthier than 51%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
Bennettsville beats the South Carolina average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 20% of Bennettsville adults have diabetes. Only 9 of the 169 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Bennettsville.
| Bennettsville | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 40% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 21% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Bennettsville | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.8% | 15.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.1% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bennettsville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Bennettsville has mild winters and warm summers. Bennettsville’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bennettsville has about as many jobs (2,912) as working residents, but only 570 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 2,228 in 2013 to 2,912.
About one in 5 of Bennettsville’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Bennettsville grew to 2,912 in 2023, 684 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Cheraw (9%), Florence (5%) and Laurinburg (2%).
| Bennettsville | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Median household income | $37,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Bennettsville
About 5 of every 100 Bennettsville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Carolina.
9,069 counted in 2010 and 7,020 in 2020; an estimated 7,565 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 6.5% since 2020, after 22.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
7 places in Bennettsville on the National Register of Historic Places.
14 notable people were born in Bennettsville.
City in South Carolina, United States
Bennettsville is a city located in the U.S. state of South Carolina on the Great Pee Dee River. As the county seat of Marlboro County, Bennettsville is noted for its historic homes and buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries—including the Bennettsville Historic District which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of the 2020 census, Bennettsville had a population of 7,020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bennettsville grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #162 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades D for health, D− for safety and D for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 27% of towns.
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($34,301 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
14 notable people were born here, including Marian Wright Edelman and Mike Wright.
