Barnwell County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Barnwell County, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 84% of counties in South Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in South Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 82% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Barnwell County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,521 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 36.9 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.82% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,116 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Barnwell County declined by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,521 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Barnwell County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.6% of residents. That is 0.5 points below South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,226 20.6% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,833 18.7% -2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,207 20.5% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,896 19.0% +0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.4% of the people living in Barnwell County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 48.6% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Barnwell County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Barnwell County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Barnwell County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,693 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.87% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Barnwell County is about 33% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Barnwell County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $36,935 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $739 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Barnwell County is about 4.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $739 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Barnwell County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 197 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Barnwell County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.7 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.4 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 197 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,121 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 508 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 475 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Barnwell County is 24 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Barnwell County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Barnwell County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.2% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Barnwell County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Barnwell County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.7 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.3% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.5% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Barnwell County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
How Barnwell County, SC compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell County, SC | 20,521 | $46,693 #2/2 | $36,935 #2/2 | 23.7 min #2/2 |
| Aiken County, SC | 174,097 | $70,949 | $363,520 | 22.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Barnwell County, South Carolina.
What is the population of Barnwell County, South Carolina?
About 20,521 people live in Barnwell County, South Carolina, in 8,116 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Barnwell County, South Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Barnwell County, South Carolina has 37 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 43% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Barnwell County, South Carolina?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($36,935 against $46,693), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $739 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Barnwell County, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Barnwell County, South Carolina is 7.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Barnwell County, South Carolina?
13.2% of adults in Barnwell County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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