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Marion County Courthouse-March 2026Photo: Jlvshistory · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Marion

How is Marion run?

Marion’s city government spent $7.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,149 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in South Carolina.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$7.1M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,149
In 2022: $1,149, more than 54% of 43 similar cities
Long-term debt
$447,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
47
full-time · 15 part-time · March payroll $190,154
Typical tax bill
$705
0.51% of home value · SC 0.48%

What stands out about how Marion is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer25% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Marion School District 10 with 3 other towns.Its own police and fire14 sworn officers and 6 full-time firefighters on the payroll.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $705 a year: 0.51% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,149 per resident a year, or $3.15 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 25%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 26%Fees & charges 21%Property taxes 17%Other taxes & licenses 16%From the state 7%From the federal government 6%From other local governments 4%Interest, fines & other 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $335,000; interest on debt $19,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $7.5 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,149 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Marion’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,149 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,137, and the middle half spent $694–$1,617. Marion spent more than 54% of them.

Middle half of the group, $694–$1,617Median $1,137Marion

Includes sewer and trash ($1.8 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
43

South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Marion itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Marion reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $705 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.51% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

South Carolina$1,251
Marion$705
$705
typical bill a year
0.51%
effective rate
$137,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Marion’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Marion’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Marion →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Marion

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See marionsc.gov for Marion’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Marion yet.marionsc.gov ↗
Agendas

Marion’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on marionsc.gov ↗.

Who works for Marion

One full-time city employee for every 132 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (6,200).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police17 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash12
Administration & buildings6 + 7 pt
Fire6 + 4 pt
Parks & libraries3 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections1 + 1 pt
Other2
47
full-time
15
part-time
$190,154
payroll for March 2022
$2.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$47,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
14
sworn police officers
6
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Marion had 7.6 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 34 of the 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 11.2: Marion had fewer than 79% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Marion School District 10

Marion’s K–12 school district, shared with Mullins, Nichols, Sellers. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Marion →
$17,669
per pupil · SC $15,090
3,808
students
$1.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,669 per pupil, $7,677 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 19%State 47%Federal 33%

South Carolina districts overall: 45% local, 43% state, 13% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Marion’s votes are counted by county

South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Marion alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marion County’s results.

President · Marion County’s results13,388 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat54.6%7,316 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican44.1%5,906 votes

Others: 1.2% (166 votes).

Most votes in Marion County: Kamala D Harris

South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%

The county’s page

100% of Marion lies in Marion County. Every 2024 race in Marion County is on the county’s page.

Marion County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Marion

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Marion.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: marionsc.gov ↗
  2. 2
    South Carolina HouseState representatives
    Lucas Atkinson
  3. 3
    South Carolina SenateState senator
    Kent Williams
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Henry McMaster
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Russell Fry
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Carolina
    Tim ScottDarline Graham

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Marion’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitemarionsc.gov ↗

Questions about Marion’s government

How much does Marion spend per resident?

About $1,149 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,149 was more than 54% of 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Marion?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $705 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see marionsc.gov.

Who runs Marion’s government?

See marionsc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Marion yet.

How did Marion vote in 2024?

South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Marion alone. Marion County, where 100% of Marion lies, voted Harris 54.6%, Trump 44.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Marion?

47 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $190,154 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Marion in the state legislature?

State Senate District 30 (Kent Williams) and State House District 57 (Lucas Atkinson). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Marion’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →