Barnwell County Demographics

A map of Barnwell County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	10,367	10,352	50.5%	50.3%
Black	8,776	8,785	42.8%	42.7%
Hispanic	595	520	2.9%	2.5%
Multiracial	548	638	2.7%	3.1%
Asian	120	161	0.6%	0.8%
Native American/Other	115	133	0.6%	0.6%

Barnwell County, South Carolina has an estimated population of 20,521, a less than 1% change from the 20,589 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 50.5% White, 42.8% Black, 2.9% Hispanic, 2.7% Multiracial, 0.6% Asian, and 0.6% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Barnwell County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Barnwell is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than South Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Barnwell County, that probability was 56.3% in 2020 and 56.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Barnwell County is ranked the 39th most populous county in South Carolina, out of 46 counties. Barnwell County was ranked the 39th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Barnwell County's White Population

10,367 residents of Barnwell County, or 50.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Barnwell County is considerably lower than in South Carolina overall, where 61.9% of the population is White. Barnwell County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barnwell County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Barnwell County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 50.5%.

Barnwell County is more White than neighboring Allendale County (22.8% White), Bamberg County (37% White), and Hampton County (40.6% White). Barnwell County is less White than neighboring Aiken County (63.5% White), and Screven County (55.1% White).

Barnwell County's Black Population

8,776 residents of Barnwell County, or 42.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Barnwell County is significantly higher than in South Carolina overall, where 24.6% of the population is Black. Barnwell County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barnwell County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Barnwell County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 42.8%.

Barnwell County is more Black than neighboring Aiken County (23.7% Black), and Screven County (39% Black). Barnwell County is less Black than neighboring Allendale County (66.3% Black), Bamberg County (59.4% Black), and Hampton County (51.9% Black).

Barnwell County's Asian Population

120 residents of Barnwell County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Barnwell County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Barnwell County ranks 19th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barnwell County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 25.5%. Asian residents' share of Barnwell County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Barnwell County is more Asian than neighboring Allendale County (0.2% Asian), Bamberg County (0.5% Asian), and Screven County (0% Asian). Barnwell County is less Asian than neighboring Aiken County (0.9% Asian), and Hampton County (1% Asian).

Barnwell County's Hispanic Population

595 residents of Barnwell County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Barnwell County is slightly lower than in South Carolina overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Barnwell County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barnwell County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 14.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Barnwell County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.9%.

Barnwell County is more Hispanic than neighboring Bamberg County (1.4% Hispanic), and Screven County (2.7% Hispanic). Barnwell County is less Hispanic than neighboring Allendale County (7.6% Hispanic), Aiken County (7.2% Hispanic), and Hampton County (4.1% Hispanic).

Barnwell County's Native American/Other Population

115 residents of Barnwell County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Barnwell County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Barnwell County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barnwell County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 13.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Barnwell County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Barnwell County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Bamberg County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Screven County (0% Native American/Other). Barnwell County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Allendale County (1% Native American/Other), and Hampton County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Barnwell County's Multiracial Population

548 residents of Barnwell County, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Barnwell County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Barnwell County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barnwell County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 14.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Barnwell County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.7%.

Barnwell County is more Multiracial than neighboring Allendale County (2% Multiracial), Bamberg County (1.2% Multiracial), and Hampton County (1.7% Multiracial). Barnwell County is less Multiracial than neighboring Aiken County (4% Multiracial), and Screven County (3.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.