Marion County, South Carolina Eviction Risk: Low

Marion County carries an overall eviction risk score of 3.6/10 (Low), placing it 31st out of 46 counties in South Carolina - in the middle third of the state by risk level. With 30 counties registering higher scores, Marion sits in a range that landlords in the Pee Dee region generally find workable, though the county's economic pressures - a 30.8% poverty rate and a renter population making up more than half (52.4%) of households - mean vacancies can produce genuine carrying risk if a tenant stops paying. The county's average rent of $646 per month is well below the South Carolina eviction laws average, which limits exposure per unit but also signals that renter incomes here are thin: the average rent burden of 27.8% of income is close to the standard distress threshold, and even a modest income disruption can tip a household toward non-payment.

The six cities and communities tracked in Marion County span a score range of 3.2 to 4.5/10. At the higher end, Mullins - the county's second-largest city with about 3,914 residents - scores 4.2/10, making it the riskiest municipality in the county by a visible margin. Mullins carries significant poverty concentration and a high share of renters relative to its population. The county seat, Marion, scores 3.6/10 across its 6,206-person population; it remains the economic and administrative center of the county and sees the bulk of local eviction filings simply by volume. Nichols, a small community of roughly 240 residents, also scores 3.2/10 - similar to Marion city despite its much smaller footprint, reflecting concentrated rental stress in a tight housing stock. The smaller communities show notably lower pressure: Daviston scores 3.7/10, Centenary scores 4/10, and Rains - the county's smallest tracked community at 84 residents - scores 4.5/10, the lowest in the county.

Under S.C. Code § 27-40 (South Carolina eviction laws's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), landlords in Marion County operate under a relatively landlord-accessible procedural framework. Non-payment of rent requires only a 5-day notice to quit before filing; lease violations require a 14-day notice to cure or vacate; and no-cause terminations at end of term require 30 days. Court filing fees run $110 to $200 depending on case type, and uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days. South Carolina eviction laws does not require just cause for most non-renewals and has a state preemption statute that blocks local rent control ordinances, so Marion County cannot impose rent caps even if it were inclined to. The county's Low risk designation reflects both the relatively efficient state eviction framework and the modest local rental price points - but landlords should weigh those thin margins against the 30.8% county-wide poverty rate before scaling their portfolio here.

Marion County's 3.6/10 average reflects scores ranging from 3.2 to 4.5 across its six tracked communities. Mullins leads county risk at 4.2/10 while smaller rural communities like Centenary and Rains fall well below the county average, pulling the overall score into Low territory despite Mullins's elevated pressure.