Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
McColl’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. 42% of residents live below the poverty line in McColl, against 17% in South Carolina’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 11 of South Carolina’s 263 towns score lower on health. The median household income is $27K, and 42% of residents live below the poverty line. McColl's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns. McColl has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where McColl beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | McColl | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 37.1% | 17.4% |
Where McColl’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far McColl is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,311 in 1900, 2,070 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in McColl, 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 McColl.
37% of adults say their health is fair or poor in McColl, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 23% and U.S. towns at 19%. 22% of adults report frequent physical distress in McColl. Only 3 of the 170 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than McColl.
| McColl | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | McColl | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.9% | 15.7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 37.1% | 17.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Marlboro 01 school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| McColl Elementary/MiddleLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 631 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
The median rent in McColl is $456 a month. The typical McColl home is worth about $136,000, down 1.5% in a year, 55% below the South Carolina typical home. 46% of McColl households own their home.
| McColl | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $456 a month | $1,060 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave McColl for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in McColl grew to 302 in 2023, 83 more than in 2013. Among 169 South Carolina towns, just 3 have a lower median household income than McColl.
| McColl | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
McColl has mild winters and warm summers. McColl’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
McColl's reported crime rate is well above South Carolina's. Only 9 of the 95 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher violent crime rate than McColl. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| McColl | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 12.7 per 1,000 residents | 4.6 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 49.3 per 1,000 residents | 27.4 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of McColl
About 1 of every 100 McColl residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Town in South Carolina, United States
McColl is a town in Marlboro County, South Carolina, United States. It lies in the state's Pee Dee region, 8 miles (13 km) from the North Carolina border. The population was 2,174 at the 2010 census. McColl is the home of the Pee Dee Indian Tribe. They are a relatively small American Indian tribe that has occupied the Pee Dee region for several centuries. While they received state recognition from the Government of South Carolina just after the beginning of the 21st Century, they have been seeking federal acknowledgment since 1976. While today the tribe consists of just over 200 enrolled members, they were once a significant cultural and political power in the region. Their profound influen…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.