Barnwell County is a county of 20,521 people in South Carolina. 14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $106,000. The poverty rate is 25.0%, above the 12.5% national rate. That trails the South Carolina median by roughly 33%. 2% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $46,626, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Barnwell County
What changed most since 1990
White share56.1% → 50.5%(−5.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median household income (2024 dollars)$56,404 → $46,626(−17%)US over the same years: +14%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)40.9%(457)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.1%(225)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.1%(336)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0.7%(8)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(8)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,118 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Barnwell County, decade by decade
Barnwell County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
20,293
$56,404
$106,083
11.9%
62.5
2000
23,478
$52,083
$93,815
11.6%
65.0
2010
22,621
$48,647
$96,960
11.5%
67.2
2020
20,589
$45,539
$106,175
14.7%
70.5
2024
20,521
$46,626
$106,000
13.9%
70.0
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
