Population 20,521 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Barnwell County
Household size in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.68 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.52 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
The average household in Barnwell County has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.68, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.6 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.1 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
At 40.5, the median age in Barnwell County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 38.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.7% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in six households in Barnwell County (17.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 2.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Few South Carolina counties have a higher share of single-parent households: only three of 46.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Barnwell County
Renters in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.1% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.8% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.4% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.1% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Barnwell County rent their homes (29.1%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About six in ten owners (60.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the east. The renter share is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.1% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.5% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.7% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Barnwell County: 18.1% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Barnwell County has a higher vacancy rate than the great majority of South Carolina counties.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Barnwell County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in South Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1991. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $547 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $626 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $649 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $820 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$273 | +$514 | +$606 |
Rent in Barnwell County runs $820 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $273 a month from 2006–10, a 50% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the south; the highest are in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Barnwell County
Bachelor's degrees in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.0% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Barnwell County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 2.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of South Carolina's 46 counties, only four have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.4% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.0% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.4% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.1% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Barnwell County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 84.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 5.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Barnwell County has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five South Carolina counties.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Barnwell County
| Period | Barnwell County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Barnwell County: 7.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 5.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Barnwell County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell County | 2.54 | 40.5 | 17.3% | 29.1% | 18.1% | 1982 | $820 | 13.8% | 84.1% | 7.7% |
| Bamberg County | 2.71 | 43.5 | 11.3% | 29.6% | 28.3% | 1977 | $868 | 18.6% | 75.5% | 19.1% |
| Burke County | 2.70 | 39.0 | 18.1% | 30.0% | 17.0% | 1982 | $834 | 15.7% | 81.8% | 4.8% |
| Glascock County | 2.85 | 35.0 | 11.6% | 32.4% | 25.9% | 1988 | $896 | 16.4% | 81.7% | 1.6% |
| Hancock County | 2.41 | 48.9 | 16.7% | 20.7% | 36.4% | 1986 | $905 | 12.7% | 78.6% | 4.7% |
| Putnam County | 2.23 | 47.6 | 8.9% | 19.1% | 19.5% | 1988 | $1,240 | 31.6% | 86.6% | 3.6% |
| Jasper County | 2.67 | 42.0 | 13.2% | 14.4% | 9.2% | 1993 | $1,129 | 19.7% | 89.9% | 7.5% |
| Butts County | 2.83 | 40.9 | 15.7% | 25.7% | 8.3% | 1993 | $1,109 | 15.1% | 84.3% | 2.7% |
| Spalding County | 2.69 | 40.3 | 17.4% | 37.3% | 9.0% | 1983 | $1,165 | 17.7% | 85.4% | 7.0% |
| Pike County | 2.95 | 39.3 | 11.2% | 15.4% | 8.7% | 1993 | $982 | 21.5% | 90.2% | 3.6% |
| Coweta County | 2.76 | 40.6 | 11.9% | 21.6% | 5.8% | 1997 | $1,578 | 36.4% | 92.2% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Mingo County, WV · Mason County, WV · Maunabo Municipio, PR · McDowell County, WV · McIntosh County, GA · Meeker County, MN · Meigs County, OH · Cooper County, MO · Menard County, IL · Mason County, IL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Barnwell County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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