Barnwell County, SC elected officials: county council, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Barnwell County: 12 seats on 6 elected bodies.

County Council

Barnwell County Council

OfficeWho holds it now
County Council MemberFreddie Houston source
County Council MemberDaniel Alexander source
County Council MemberDavid Kenner source
County Council MemberHarold Buckmon source
County Council MemberAndy Hogg source
County Council MemberJJ Cruz source
County Council MemberTravis Hooper source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of CourtRhonda McElveen source
CoronerDenise Gibson source
Probate JudgeMyrna S. Dill source
SheriffSteven Griffith source

Cities and towns

How many local governments Barnwell County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 13 local governments in Barnwell County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships71
School districts (school boards)30
Special districts (elected boards)20

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Barnwell County

20,521people
40.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$46,626 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
25%below the U.S.: 12.5%
13.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$106,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
12.2%U.S.: 8.4%
47.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.9% · White 50.5% · Black 42.8% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 3.2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Barnwell County

5.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.8%. South Carolina: 3.7%.
417people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
7,754people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
8,171in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Barnwell County 0.0%1.8%3.6%5.4%7.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)5.1%4177,7548,171
August 20265.6%4607,7828,242
July 20265.1%4237,8558,278
June 20265.5%4527,7818,233
May 20264.9%4127,9798,391
April 20264.4%3758,0908,465
March 20265.2%4508,1708,620
February 20266.6%5748,0898,663
January 20267.2%5947,6938,287
December 20256.5%5347,7188,252
November 20256.5%5387,7118,249
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.8%4727,7298,201
August 20256.2%5087,7498,257
July 20255.9%4927,8268,318
June 20255.8%4727,6648,136
May 20255.2%4197,6918,110
April 20254.8%3987,8118,209
March 20255.3%4437,9678,410
February 20255.8%4887,9488,436
January 20255.9%4777,6448,121
December 20245.3%4297,6648,093
November 20245.5%4537,7208,173
October 20245.7%4677,7618,228
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.8%4767,7698,245
20245.5%4537,8078,260
20233.9%3217,8698,190
20224.2%3407,8128,152
20215.8%4707,6078,077
20206.7%5607,7758,335
20193.9%3318,2518,582
20184.4%3798,3278,706
20175.5%4647,9318,395
20166.8%5747,9158,489

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. South Carolina's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.0% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Barnwell County

722.7 per 100,0002024. South Carolina: 440.3.
2,314.7 per 100,0002024. South Carolina: 1,981.0.
3murders2024, 148 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2024148722.74742,314.7
2022140675.95412,611.9
2021114562.55542,733.5
20202381,149.66102,946.6
2019177845.27313,490.8
2018155732.46923,269.7
2017124581.66473,034.6
2016156722.47073,274.1
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Barnwell County Sheriff's Office20255210711,118
Barnwell Police Department2025361234,574
Williston Police Department202518992,875
Blackville Police Department202418431,901

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in South Carolina · the U.S.

Police staffing

3.23 per 1,000 residents2022, 4 agencies serving 20,713 people.
67sworn officers2022, full-time, as of October 31.
64civilian staff2022, full-time.

2022 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (4), 2022
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Barnwell County Sheriff's Office376011,411
Barnwell Police Department1424,468
Williston Police Department912,882
Blackville Police Department711,952
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2022673.23644
2018622.93634
2017542.53574
2016582.69394

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Barnwell County Clerk of Court?
Rhonda McElveen is the Clerk of Court of Barnwell County, South Carolina.
Who is the Barnwell County Coroner?
Denise Gibson is the Coroner of Barnwell County, South Carolina.
Who is the Barnwell County Probate Judge?
Myrna S. Dill is the Probate Judge of Barnwell County, South Carolina.
Who is the Barnwell County Sheriff?
Steven Griffith is the Sheriff of Barnwell County, South Carolina.
Who are the Barnwell County commissioners?
Freddie Houston (County Council Member); Daniel Alexander (County Council Member); David Kenner (County Council Member); Harold Buckmon (County Council Member); Andy Hogg (County Council Member); JJ Cruz (County Council Member); Travis Hooper (County Council Member).
What is the population of Barnwell County?
About 20,521 people, with a median age of 40.4; the median household income is $46,626 and 25% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Barnwell County?
5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 417 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,171, against 5.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Barnwell County?
13 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 3 school district and 2 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Barnwell County?
1: Williston. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Officeholders as of October 15, 2026, from the South Carolina Legislative Manual's list of county officers and mayors of county seats; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

Barnwell County's 2026 ballot and results · Every South Carolina county · South Carolina's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Barnwell County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections