Bamberg is a city in and the county seat of Bamberg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,607 at the 2010 census.

In 2007, the main street was widened, and a series of iron railings were added to the sidewalks on the street, as part of an improvement scheme for the area. The then County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director stated "It will be a major boost to the economy for the county and downtown Bamberg." Urbanist advocates, such as Strong Towns, later attributed the use of railings blocking pedestrian street crossings as the reason why a large number of businesses on the main street later went out of business.

Several buildings on the main street were damaged by fire in 2019, and the city announced plans in 2021 to demolish these buildings and "revitalize" the area, adding green space and making the area more walkable.

An EF2 tornado heavily damaged the downtown area of Bamberg on January 9, 2024.

Geography

Bamberg is located at (33.298440, −81.031903).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.34%, is water.

Major highways

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, Bamberg has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

{| class="wikitable"

|+Bamberg racial composition

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

|-

|White (non-Hispanic)

|1,156

|37.58%

|-

|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

|1,770

|57.54%

|-

|Native American

|10

|0.33%

|-

|Asian

|23

|0.75%

|-

|Other/mixed

|93

|3.02%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino

|24

|0.78%

|}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,076 people, 1,311 households, and 684 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census The district operates Richard Carroll Elementary School, Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School and Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School.

Prior to 2022, Bamberg was in Bamberg School District One.

Bamberg has a public library, a branch of the ABBE Regional Library System.

Notable people

  • Justin Bamberg, state representative, and attorney in 2015 police killing of Walter Scott
  • Da'Quan Bowers, former football player for Clemson University, defensive end in the NFL
  • A. J. Cann, offensive lineman for the Houston Texans and former Bamberg-Ehrhardt standout
  • Zack Godley, Major League baseball pitcher
  • Nikki Haley, governor of South Carolina (2011–2017), U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (2017–2018), and 2024 presidential candidate
  • Julius B. "Bubba" Ness, former chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court
  • Mickey Pruitt, NFL linebacker
  • Cecil T. Sandifer, funeral director and South Carolina state legislator
  • Ricky Sapp, former NFL football player
  • Rodney Wallace, three-time State Champion in wrestling; former UFC light heavyweight fighter and current mixed martial artist
  • Nolan R. Williams (1982–2025), neuropsychiatrist who helped develop SAINT-TMS
  • Mookie Wilson, Major League baseball player, 1986 World Series champion
  • Preston Wilson, Major League baseball player

References

  • Bamberg City