1st Advantage MortgageIn Darlington County, 12% of workers commute 45 minutes or more and the median home is worth $158,200. For a Darlington County borrower, the safe sequence is the same: price the need, compare APR and fees on several written offers, confirm the South Carolina license, and pick the shortest term whose payment fits.
On this page
- Darlington County in numbers
- Work and pay in Darlington County
- Darlington County households and housing
- Budget math at the median in Darlington County
- Reading the Darlington County data as a borrower
- Darlington County against similar places
- Local background
- A Darlington County borrower checklist
- Darlington County communities by size
- Types of housing in Darlington County
- How income is spread in Darlington County
- How Darlington County compares with the counties next door
- Ranking Darlington County against other South Carolina counties
- Frequently asked questions
Darlington County in numbers
These are Census Bureau estimates (ACS, 2020 to 2024) for Darlington County, South Carolina. A place average is context, while your finances are what a lender reads.
Work and pay in Darlington County
In Darlington County, 25% of employed residents work in education and health care, 18% in manufacturing and 13% in retail. What sets Darlington County apart is manufacturing, at 18% of workers where the typical place in our set has 14%. Hourly and shift pay swings with schedules, while salaried pay swings with bonuses, so size any loan to your lowest normal month.
Looking past the median, 22% of Darlington County households earn $100,000 or more and 39% earn less than $35,000. Against our Carolina county medians, Darlington County runs -5 points on $100,000+ households and +9 on households under $35,000. A Gini reading of 0.52 sums up how unevenly income is spread in Darlington County.
Darlington County households and housing
On education and age, Darlington County shows 20% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 41.3. Darlington County is younger than typical by 1.0 years and less likely to hold a degree by 4 points.
Homes in Darlington County are 63% single-family detached, 3% in buildings of five or more units and 30% mobile or manufactured. Detached homes run 5 points below the typical place in our set. Detached owners carry roofs, HVAC and yards, while apartment renters face deposits and moving trucks.
Budget math at the median in Darlington County
Monthly math for a typical Darlington County household: $4,048 before taxes, from a median income of $48,581. After the median rent of $896 (22% of income), the 30% yardstick of $1,215 is not reached. Apply a 36% debt-to-income test and a median-earning household in Darlington County could carry roughly $1,457 a month in total debt payments, housing included. Home prices sit near 3.3x the median household's annual income. The median is a reference point only; your own gross income and debts are what count.
Reading the Darlington County data as a borrower
Rent is a stretch for many Darlington County renters: 56% put 30 percent or more of income toward it, which puts the city in the upper third of the 146 Carolina county places in our set. When rent is already heavy, size any new payment against what is left each month, and check it with the debt-to-income calculator.
Few Darlington County workers work from home (5%), lower than in most of the 146 Carolina county places we cover. Most people here have a workplace and a traditional pay stub, which can make income verification simpler.
Darlington County's ACS unemployment rate, 6.7%, is high for our Carolina county set. Lenders look hard at income stability, so documented, steady income matters.
Darlington County against similar places
Line Darlington County up with the other 146 Carolina county places and you see a median household income of $48,581 (122nd of 146, top down), a median gross rent of $896 (73rd of 146, top down), and a median home value of $158,200 (110th of 146, top down). Ranks like these are a snapshot that changes each release.
For scale, look at two South Carolina places of similar size: Georgetown County ($68,713 income, $1,204 rent), where Darlington County runs 29% below on income and 26% below on rent and Kershaw County ($68,231 income, $971 rent), where Darlington County runs 29% below on income and 8% below on rent.
Local background
The Census Bureau lists 8 places in Darlington County. By population the biggest are Hartsville, Darlington, North Hartsville, Lamar. If your town has no separate guide, this county page is the closest match; its numbers cover all 8 communities and the countryside.
A Darlington County borrower checklist
- Verify before you share details with the South Carolina Commissioner of Consumer Finance; complaints go here.
- Put the payment through the DTI calculator before you apply anywhere. Lenders set their own limits.
- Run the offer checklist before you sign.
- Read your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and fix errors before you shop.
- Plan for a bad month: if hours drop or the car breaks, could the payment still go out?
Darlington County communities by size
Darlington County contains 8 Census places, 4 of them incorporated. Median home values run from $96,600 in Dovesville to $205,600 in Hartsville (places of 1,000+ people).
| Community | Government | Population | % of county | Home value (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartsville | incorporated city | 7,419 | 11.9% | $205,600 |
| Darlington | incorporated city | 6,120 | 9.8% | $172,300 |
| North Hartsville | unincorporated (CDP) | 3,304 | 5.3% | $110,600 |
| Lamar | incorporated town | 1,196 | 1.9% | $127,000 |
| Dovesville | unincorporated (CDP) | 1,120 | 1.8% | $96,600 |
| Pine Ridge | unincorporated (CDP) | 637 | 1.0% | $113,300 |
| Society Hill | incorporated town | 388 | 0.6% | $92,800 |
| Lydia | unincorporated (CDP) | 190 | 0.3% | n/a |
Types of housing in Darlington County
30% of homes in Darlington County are mobile homes (14% statewide), and 3% are in buildings of five or more units. Detached houses (63%) bring roof, HVAC and plumbing bills that are a common reason Darlington County owners borrow.
| Kind of building | Share in Darlington County | Difference from South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 62.7% | -1.8 pts |
| Townhouse or attached | 0.7% | -2.9 pts |
| 2 to 4 units | 3.0% | -1.5 pts |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.8% | -4.5 pts |
| 20 or more units | 0.5% | -5.1 pts |
| Mobile home | 30.2% | +15.9 pts |
How income is spread in Darlington County
27% of Darlington County households earn less than $25,000 a year, against 17% across South Carolina; 22% earn $100,000 or more. Where a Darlington County household sits on this ladder shapes a realistic loan size far more than the county median does.
| Yearly income step | Darlington County households | Difference from South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | 14.2% | +4.5 pts |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 12.7% | +5.3 pts |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 11.7% | +4.0 pts |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 12.3% | +0.3 pts |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 16.5% | -0.5 pts |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 10.8% | -2.3 pts |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 10.4% | -6.0 pts |
| $150,000 or more | 11.4% | -5.4 pts |
How Darlington County compares with the counties next door
Neighboring Carolina counties, nearest first (20 to 34 miles), with population, median age, degree share and poverty rate.
| County | How far | People | Median age | Degree holders | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington County | - | 62,558 | 41.3 | 20% | 21% |
| Lee County, SC | 20 mi | 16,166 | 42.4 | 12% | 25% |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 24 mi | 43,784 | 42.0 | 14% | 20% |
| Marlboro County, SC | 25 mi | 25,975 | 41.7 | 9% | 29% |
| Florence County, SC | 25 mi | 137,117 | 39.4 | 24% | 19% |
| Dillon County, SC | 34 mi | 27,862 | 38.2 | 14% | 28% |
Ranking Darlington County against other South Carolina counties
Out of 46 South Carolina counties, Darlington County's most unusual ranks are on rent burden, long commutes, car-free households.
- Darlington County: 56% for rent burden, #7 of 46 in South Carolina. Leave room for a late paycheck.
- Darlington County: 12% for long commutes, #7 lowest of 46 in South Carolina. Shorter drives mean fewer repair surprises.
- Darlington County: 10.4% for car-free households, #9 of 46 in South Carolina. Transit and ride costs belong in the budget.
| Measure | Darlington County | Rank in South Carolina | Middle Carolina county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent burden | 56% | #7 of 46 | 48% |
| Long commutes | 12% | #7 lowest of 46 | 17% |
| Car-free households | 10.4% | #9 of 46 | 5.8% |
Frequently asked questions
Is a personal loan a good idea in Darlington County if rent is already a big expense?
It can be when the loan lowers your total cost, for example by replacing high-interest cards, and when the new payment fits after rent. In Darlington County, 56% of renters spend 30 percent or more of income on rent, so test every payment against a tight month and avoid long terms that raise total cost.
Is the fit check different for Darlington County residents?
No. The check looks at what you borrow, your credit range, your income from any source and your monthly payments, and treats every applicant the same. A lender's own decision is separate, and fair-lending laws bind lenders.
Where can a Darlington County borrower check a lender?
For Darlington County borrowers, consumer lenders answer to South Carolina's Commissioner of Consumer Finance; the Department of Consumer Affairs takes broader complaints.
How long do lenders take to decide for Darlington County borrowers?
A soft-pull prequalification is often instant; a full decision and deposit can take from one day to about a week, depending on the lender.