Barnwell County, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barnwell County
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Barnwell County Courthouse in 1968
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Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
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 South Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Carolina |
| Founded | 1800 |
| Seat | Barnwell |
| Largest city | Barnwell |
| Area | |
| • Total | 557 sq mi (1,440 km2) |
| • Land | 548 sq mi (1,420 km2) |
| • Water | 8.9 sq mi (23 km2) 1.6% |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 22,621 |
| • Estimate
(2020)
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20,611 |
| • Density | 40.61/sq mi (15.680/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Barnwell County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, its population was 22,621. Its county seat is Barnwell.
Contents
History
The Barnwell District was created in 1797 (effective in 1800) from the southwestern portion of the Orangeburg District, along the Savannah River. It was named after John Barnwell, a local figure in the Revolutionary War.
In 1868, under the South Carolina Constitution revised during Reconstruction, South Carolina districts became counties. The government was made more democratic, with county officials to be elected by male citizens at least 21 years old, rather than by the state legislature as done previously.
In 1871 the legislature took the northwestern portion of the county to form part of the new Aiken County, the only county organized during the Reconstruction era. In 1874 the border with Aiken County was adjusted slightly. This county and Barnwell, with populations of blacks and whites that were nearly equal, had extensive violence in the months before the 1874 and 1876 elections, as groups of paramilitary Red Shirts rode to disrupt black Republican meetings and intimidate voters to suppress black voting. More than 100 black men were killed in Aiken County during the violence, especially at Ellenton, South Carolina.
In 1895 white Democrats in the state legislature passed a new constitution, disfranchising most blacks for more than 60 years by raising barriers to voter registration.
In 1897 the eastern third of the county was taken to form the new Bamberg County. In 1919 most of the southern half of the county was taken to form most of the new Allendale County, thus reducing Barnwell county to its present size.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 557 square miles (1,440 km2), of which 548 square miles (1,420 km2) is land and 8.9 square miles (23 km2) (1.6%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Aiken County - north
- Bamberg County - east
- Orangeburg County - east
- Allendale County - southeast
- Burke County, Georgia - southwest
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 7,376 | — | |
| 1810 | 12,280 | 66.5% | |
| 1820 | 14,750 | 20.1% | |
| 1830 | 19,236 | 30.4% | |
| 1840 | 21,471 | 11.6% | |
| 1850 | 26,608 | 23.9% | |
| 1860 | 30,743 | 15.5% | |
| 1870 | 35,724 | 16.2% | |
| 1880 | 39,857 | 11.6% | |
| 1890 | 44,613 | 11.9% | |
| 1900 | 35,504 | −20.4% | |
| 1910 | 34,209 | −3.6% | |
| 1920 | 23,081 | −32.5% | |
| 1930 | 21,221 | −8.1% | |
| 1940 | 20,138 | −5.1% | |
| 1950 | 17,266 | −14.3% | |
| 1960 | 17,659 | 2.3% | |
| 1970 | 17,176 | −2.7% | |
| 1980 | 19,868 | 15.7% | |
| 1990 | 20,293 | 2.1% | |
| 2000 | 23,478 | 15.7% | |
| 2010 | 22,621 | −3.7% | |
| 2020 (est.) | 20,611 | −8.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 22,621 people, 8,937 households, and 6,055 families living in the county. The population density was 41.2 inhabitants per square mile (15.9/km2). There were 10,484 housing units at an average density of 19.1 per square mile (7.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 52.6% white, 44.3% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 11.5% were American, 5.7% were German, and 5.4% were English.
Of the 8,937 households, 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 38.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,816 and the median income for a family was $41,764. Males had a median income of $35,957 versus $30,291 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,592. About 20.8% of families and 25.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 10,352 | 50.28% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 8,785 | 42.67% |
| Native American | 61 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 161 | 0.78% |
| Pacific Islander | 14 | 0.07% |
| Other/Mixed | 696 | 3.38% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 520 | 2.53% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,589 people, 8,360 households, and 5,260 families residing in the county.
Communities
City
- Barnwell (county seat)
Towns
Notable people
- Sarah Lowe Twiggs (1839-1920), poet
- Rosa Louise Woodberry (1869–1932), journalist, school founder
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Barnwell para niños
