Barnwell County, South Carolina Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Barnwell County is located in South Carolina with a total population of 20,565. It is the 39th most populous county out of 46 in South Carolina. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Barnwell County is 40.7 years. This is 1% higher than the state median of 40.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Barnwell County is $41,800. This is 37% lower than the state median of $66,818. It is also 47% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 28.5%. This is 101% higher than the state poverty rate of 14.2%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 7.2%. This is 45% higher than the state rate of 5.0%. The median home value is $97,200. Housing costs are 59% lower than the state median of $236,700. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Barnwell County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 71.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Barnwell County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 50.4% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 43.1%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (43.1% vs 25.1%). The Hispanic or Latino population (2.8%) is well below the state average of 7.1%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.7%.

Education

12.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 59% lower than the state rate of 31.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 80.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Barnwell County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against South Carolina and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.