Barnwell is located east of the center of Barnwell County at . Turkey Creek, a tributary of the Salkehatchie River, runs through the city just west of the downtown, and includes a small impoundment known as Lake Brown in the north part of the city. U.S. Route 278 passes through the city, leading south to Allendale and northwest to Augusta, Georgia. State highways 3, 70, 64 also pass through the city; SC 64 leads west to the east entrance of the Savannah River Site, which is a nuclear reservation. According to the United States Census Bureau, Barnwell has a total area of, of which is land and, or 1.86%, is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,035 people, 2,035 households, and 1,353 families residing in the city. The population density was 659.5 people per square mile. There were 2,304 housing units at an average density of 301.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 49.81% White, 47.37% Black, 1.05% Asian, 0.40% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population. There were 2,035 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 22.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,722, and the median income for a family was $37,841. Males had a median income of $35,039 versus $21,912 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,709. placing it in the top third of the state. About 20.4% of families and 22.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.5% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
In 1785 the district of Winton County was formed from a portion of the Orangeburg District in order to create another judicial circuit. It was given its current name in 1798 when the county and its seat were named for Revolutionary War leader John Barnwell, who headed a militia in South Carolina. Barnwell County originally stretched from the Savannah River on the west almost to the Atlantic Ocean. Built in 1832, the South Carolina Railroad connected Charleston to Hamburg, near Augusta, Georgia, upriver on the Savannah River. The designation of two stops on the railroad led to the development of the towns of Blackville and Williston in the mid-nineteenth century.
Barnwell has a public library, a branch of the ABBE Regional Library System.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Barnwell has a Humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
