COUNTY REPORT SC

Barnwell County, South Carolina

5 ZIP codes · Avg score 89/100 · Grade A · Updated 2026-06-04

Throughout Barnwell County, the 5 monitored ZIP codes show low violation rates and healthy safety scores — a pattern that puts the county well above the state baseline for drinking water quality.

How Barnwell County Compares

Barnwell County89/100
South Carolina avg78/100
National avg68/100

How Barnwell County Compares

A
County Grade
89/100
Avg Safety Score
5
ZIP Codes
5
Water Systems

Barnwell County scores 11 points above the South Carolina state average (78/100) and 21 points above the national average (68/100).

Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-06-04

A
County Grade
89
Avg Safety Score
5
ZIP Codes
Best ZIP: 29826 (99/100)
Lowest ZIP: 29836 (66/100)
$80K
Median Home Value
$1,200
Avg Remediation (150% of home value)

ZIP Code Risk Map

Water Quality Map: Barnwell County, South Carolina

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Key Risk Factors

Health risk index: 17.1 (asthma 11%, diabetes 19.8%)

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $2,200, driven primarily by sea_level

Infrastructure: 0.308% avg pipe failure probability

59.8% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)

County Health Indicators vs National Average

Asthma 11% (national: 8.9%)
Diabetes 19.8% (national: 10.5%)
Obesity 44.7% (national: 32.4%)

Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Infrastructure Overview

1987
Median Build Year
59.8%
Pre-1978 Housing
31%
Pipe Failure Probability
0%
ZIPs at High Infra Risk
Low
Lead Pipe Risk

Sources: Census ACS (housing age), EPA SDWIS (infrastructure risk model), state bridge inspection data.

Compound Risk Breakdown

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $2,200

Sea Level Rise $1,800/yr
Energy Code Gap $270/yr
Water / Lead $90/yr

Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).

Housing Age Distribution

5,817 housing units in Barnwell County

Pre-1940 3%
1940–1959 12%
1960–1979 24%
1980–1999 41%
2000+ 19%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).

Water Safety Affordability

How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Barnwell County

$80K
Median Home Value
$1,200
Est. Remediation Cost
1.5%
of Home Value
Remediation as % of home value low burden

Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Barnwell County, representing a small fraction of property value.

Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.

Health Outcomes vs National Average

CDC PLACES data for Barnwell County residents

Asthma 11% (US avg: 8.9%)
Diabetes 19.8% (US avg: 11%)
Obesity 44.7% (US avg: 32.4%)

Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Water Systems with Most Violations

Top 5 systems in Barnwell County ranked by EPA violation count.

# Water System Population Violations
1 Barnwell Town of (sc0610001) 4,693 3
2 Williston Town of (sc0610002) 3,251 3
3 Hilda Town of (sc0610004) 318 2
4 Blackville Town of (sc0610003) 1,934 2
5 Elko Town of (0610005) 340 1

All ZIP Codes in Barnwell County

5 ZIP codes tracked in Barnwell County.

# ZIP Code City Safety Score Grade Violations Home Value
1 29826 Elko 99 A 1
2 29853 Williston 99 A 1 $101K
3 29813 Hilda 95 A 2
4 29817 Blackville 88 A 2 $80K
5 29836 Martin 66 C 0 $56K

Recommended Buyer Guides for Barnwell County

Designed to find the guide that fits the county, not the other way around — the system reads EPA detections, FEMA hazard layers, and CDC lead-exposure markers, then outputs the categories that resolve those specific risks for households here, with NSF-certified products surfaced when the matching contaminant appears in the local monitoring data.

Overview

Barnwell County in South Carolina covers 5 ZIP codes with an average Home Safety Score of A (89/100).

4 of 5 ZIP codes have recorded EPA violations. All violations are monitoring/reporting type.

← Back to South Carolina water quality report

Data Sources

Updated daily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water safe in Barnwell County?
Barnwell County receives a grade of A, indicating generally safe tap water across its 5 ZIP codes.
How many water systems serve Barnwell County?
Barnwell County is served by 5 public water systems that supply drinking water to residents across 5 ZIP codes.
What is the biggest environmental risk in Barnwell County?
The primary environmental risk factor in Barnwell County is sea_level. This contributes to an estimated additional annual cost of $2,200 per homeowner.
How old are homes in Barnwell County?
The median home build year in Barnwell County is 1987. 59.8% of homes were built before 1978, which means they may contain lead-based paint and older plumbing materials.
How does Barnwell County compare to South Carolina?
Barnwell County has an average water safety score of 89/100, which is above the South Carolina state average of 78/100.

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