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Barnwell County, SC Health Statistics

44.2% of adults have obesity and 19.4% have diabetes, among about 20,447 residents.

Obesity
44.2%
#8 of 46 · +10.9 pts
Diabetes
19.4%
#12 of 46 · +7.3 pts
Smoking
19.5%
+6.7 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
15.9%
+4.8 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • Food insecurity30.5% vs 15.9%
  • Utility shutoff threat15.2% vs 8.0%
  • Self-care7.2% vs 3.8%

Lower than the U.S.

  • Binge drinking13.0% vs 15.9%

All health measures

Barnwell County, SC compared with South Carolina and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereSCU.S.
Obesity44.2%+10.9 pts35.8%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes19.4%+7.3 pts13.9%12.1%
High blood pressure45.7%+11.3 pts38.5%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)40.2%+3.8 pts38.1%36.4%
Coronary heart disease9.2%+2.9 pts6.8%6.3%
Stroke5.9%+2.5 pts3.9%3.4%
Current asthma11.0%+0.8 pts9.6%10.2%
COPD11.6%+5.1 pts7.5%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)8.2%about the same8.5%7.7%
Arthritis31.7%+6.5 pts28.4%25.2%
Depression22.4%+0.8 pts22.4%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)21.1%+8.5 pts14.0%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereSCU.S.
Current smoking19.5%+6.7 pts13.3%12.8%
Binge drinking13.0%-2.9 pts15.7%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity36.2%+11.0 pts25.8%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)43.9%+7.8 pts35.8%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereSCU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)15.9%+4.8 pts11.8%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year81.4%+4.6 pts80.6%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year54.1%-7.6 pts63.1%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)82.0%+6.5 pts80.2%75.5%
Cholesterol screening84.6%-1.6 pts86.9%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)64.6%+0.9 pts69.3%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)76.6%+0.5 pts77.6%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereSCU.S.
Fair or poor general health29.4%+9.6 pts20.1%19.8%
Frequent mental distress18.9%+2.4 pts16.4%16.5%
Frequent physical distress17.9%+4.6 pts14.0%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereSCU.S.
Any disability40.5%+10.1 pts31.5%30.4%
Mobility disability23.1%+9.3 pts15.4%13.8%
Cognitive disability18.8%+4.5 pts14.3%14.3%
Hearing disability8.5%+1.7 pts7.0%6.8%
Vision disability9.3%+4.0 pts5.6%5.3%
Self-care disability7.2%+3.4 pts4.3%3.8%
Independent living disability13.3%+5.2 pts8.7%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereSCU.S.
Loneliness35.0%+0.9 pts31.7%34.1%
Lack of social and emotional support27.9%+3.3 pts23.7%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year30.5%+14.6 pts17.4%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year22.4%+9.6 pts10.5%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year21.0%+8.0 pts13.3%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year15.2%+7.2 pts8.9%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation14.0%+5.5 pts8.6%8.5%

Share of adults (18 and older unless noted), crude prevalence. Differences are compared with the U.S.; green is better than the national rate, red is worse. These are model-based estimates, not counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the obesity rate in Barnwell County, SC?
About 44.2% of adults in Barnwell County, SC have obesity, compared with 35.8% in South Carolina and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #8 of 46 counties in South Carolina.
How common is diabetes in Barnwell County, SC?
About 19.4% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (South Carolina 13.9%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Barnwell County, SC?
About 19.5% of adults currently smoke cigarettes, compared with 12.8% nationwide.
How accurate are these numbers?
They are CDC model-based estimates built from national survey data and local population data, not counts from local health records. Small areas have wider margins of error.

Source: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health · Last updated 12/01/2025 · 2025 release. Share of adults, crude prevalence.