HomeSouth CarolinaBarnwell County
Barnwell County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Barnwell County, South Carolina has a population of 20,521 across 548 square miles, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $700.8 m in 2024, 353 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $2.1 m.
114 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Barnwell County
How many people live in Barnwell County
- Population20,521
- Households8,116
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$46,626
- Median age40.4
- Median gross rent$740 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$106,000
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,055
- Population under 184,870
- Share under 1823.7 percent
- Population 65 and over3,927
- Share 65 and over19.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,724
- Civilian labor force9,364
- Unemployment rate7.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.8 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties39th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1851st
Barnwell County is the 39th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.7 percent against 19.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Barnwell County
Is Barnwell County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.47 percent
- Census 2020 base population20,592
- Births, 2024247
- Deaths, 2024306
- Natural change, 2024-59
- Net domestic migration, 202451
- Net international migration, 202455
- Total net migration, 2024106
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202427
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2012th
The county has lost 0.47 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Barnwell County
Where people moving to Barnwell County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving393
- People arriving, from those returns798
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$41,099
- Largest single originBarnwell County Non-migrants (7,003 households)
- Largest single destination (7,003 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell County Non-migrants | 7,003 | 14,419 | $363.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 101 | 211 | $5.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 91 | 168 | $3.5 m |
| Aiken County | 90 | 181 | $3.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 80 | 167 | $4.0 m |
| Bamberg County | 39 | 83 | $1.7 m |
| Orangeburg County | 25 | 59 | $783,000 |
| Allendale County | 24 | 46 | $646,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Barnwell County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Barnwell County
What the Barnwell County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$700.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$667.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years43.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties40th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2135th
- GDP per resident$34,153
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 43.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Barnwell County
Who employs people in Barnwell County
- Covered employment, annual average4,864
- Establishments reporting427
- Average annual pay$43,379
- Average weekly wage$834
- Sector 31-33, employment970
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,115
- Sector 44-45, employment752
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$27,827
- Sector 62, employment511
- Sector 62, average annual pay$36,240
- Sector 23, employment144
- Sector 23, average annual pay$66,834
- Sector 81, employment142
- Sector 48-49, employment110
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 970 | 18 | $61,115 |
| Sector 44-45 | 752 | 82 | $27,827 |
| Sector 62 | 511 | 51 | $36,240 |
| Sector 23 | 144 | 25 | $66,834 |
| Sector 81 | 142 | 32 | $43,448 |
| Sector 48-49 | 110 | 16 | $60,168 |
| Sector 54 | 76 | 36 | $55,393 |
| Sector 61 | 75 | 5 | $23,072 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 970 jobs, 19.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Barnwell County
What businesses operate in Barnwell County
- Establishments, all industries353
- Employment at those establishments3,904
- Annual payroll$166.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Barnwell County
What is being built in Barnwell County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202417
- Declared construction value permitted$3.3 m
- Single family units authorised17
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$191,362
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.1
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Barnwell County
How much SBA lending happens in Barnwell County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$425,000
- Median 7(a) approval$240,000
- 10th percentile approval$82,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,205,000
- Largest single approval$1,205,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)16
- Jobs per approval3.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countTravel Agencies (2)
- Most active lenderSouthState Bank, National Association (2)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$83,000
- Average 504 approval$83,000
- Median 504 approval$83,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCCSRA Local Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals83.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$2.2 m
The average approval of $425,000 sits well above the median of $240,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 40.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barnwell County
Do SBA loans in Barnwell County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barnwell County
Which parts of Barnwell County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- BARNWELL, approvals3
- BLACKVILLE, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BARNWELL | 3 | $1,735,000 |
| BLACKVILLE | 2 | $390,000 |
BARNWELL accounts for 3 approvals against 2 in BLACKVILLE. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barnwell County
How big is Barnwell County
- Land area548 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties31st of 46
- Width, east to west33.5 mi
- Height, north to south27.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land37
- Establishments per square mile0.64
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Barnwell County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Barnwell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population20,521
- Households8,116
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$46,626
- Median age40.4
Common questions
Barnwell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Barnwell County, South Carolina?
20,521, in 8,116 households, ranking 39th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Barnwell County growing?
The population has fallen 0.47 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 247 births against 306 deaths, with net migration of 106. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Barnwell County?
$46,626. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $106,000, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $740 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Barnwell County?
353 establishments, employing 3,904 people with an annual payroll of $166.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Barnwell County?
Average annual pay is $43,379, or $834 a week, across 4,864 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Barnwell County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $2.1 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $240,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $83,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Barnwell County?
17 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Barnwell County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Barnwell County come from?
The largest single origin is Barnwell County Non-migrants, with 7,003 households. Arriving households report an average income of $41,099 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Barnwell County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Barnwell County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.