City profile · South Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Barnwell, SC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Barnwell — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

4,616
Residents
$43,239
Median income
$137,300
Median home
$1,155
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Barnwell, SC

Barnwell is a city in South Carolina with a population of 4,616 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $43,239 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 25.2%. Typical homes in Barnwell are valued around $137,300, and the median resident age is 33.5 years. About 18.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 46.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 5 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 400% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 4589.3 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 64.7°F with 48.7 inches of precipitation per year.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, South Carolina registers 93.7 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,155 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $224 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Barnwell report an average commute of 22.0 minutes, with 78.4% driving alone and 1.2% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.7 out of 100 (High).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

4,616 residents

Census ACS 2023 — South Carolina

Median Household Income

$43,239 /yr

Poverty 25.2%

Cost of Living Index

93.7 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Barnwell compare to other US cities?

Where Barnwell sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 11% higher than other cities
Home value 23% pricier than other cities
Median rent 46% pricier than other cities
Safety 5% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Barnwell against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Barnwell, SC Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Barnwell, SC. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Barnwell, SC — median $43,239/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Barnwell, SC — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 18.1%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 25.2%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 46.8%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
4,616
Median Income
$43,239
Median Home Value
$137,300
Median Age
33.5
Poverty Rate
25.2%
Labor force participation
46.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4589.3
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
1207.7
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
3381.6
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
64.7°F
Annual Precipitation
48.7"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
5
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 1
2021 4
2022 4
2023 7
2024 5

Permit volume increased 400% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
22.0 minutes
Drive Alone
78.4%
Carpool
17.5%
Public Transit
1.9%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
1.2%
Other
1.0%

Based on 1,639 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for South Carolina — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$52
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$224
estimated/month

Estimates reflect South Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

South Carolina state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
93.7
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,155/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
70.7 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Barnwell, SC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Barnwell, SC — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Barnwell compares to nearby South Carolina cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Barnwell) plus the nearest peer cities in South Carolina, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

SC

Barnwell

43.24% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$43,239
Brackets
5
Selected

SC

Belton

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$440
Brackets
4
Selected

SC

Abbeville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$490
Brackets
5
Selected

SC

Baxter

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$440
Brackets
4
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Barnwell, SC?

What is the population of Barnwell, SC? +

Barnwell, SC has a population of 4,616 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Barnwell, SC? +

The median household income in Barnwell is $43,239 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Barnwell? +

Barnwell has a cost of living index of 93.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Barnwell, SC safe? +

Barnwell has a total crime rate of 4589.3 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Barnwell, SC? +

The median home value in Barnwell is $137,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Barnwell? +

Barnwell has an average annual temperature of 64.7°F, 48.7 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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