Columbia, SC · standard

ZIP Code 29206

Richland County, South Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

17,788
803/sq mi: $91,847
Median income: $369,500
Median home value: 61.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Columbia pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 25%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 24%
home value, US ZIPs: 803
people per sq mi: 66%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 29206 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 29206 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 22.2 square miles in Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina. The area is home to 17,788 residents, producing a population density of 803 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 29206 against South Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 29206 sits at $91,847 (44% above the South Carolina average), while per-capita income is $60,637. The poverty rate stands at 6.1% and the unemployment rate at 2.6%. On housing, the median home value is $369,500 (63% above the state average) with median rent at $1,419 per month, and 65.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 29206 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 61.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.6, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Richland County, so you can benchmark 29206 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 29206

Retail trade

100
Accommodation and food services

73
Health care and social assistance

64
Professional, scientific, and technical services

63
Other services (except public administration)

59

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 29206, Columbia, SC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

17,788

Population

22.2

Area (sq mi)

803

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 29206?

37.6

Median Age

48.5%

Male

51.5%

Female

3.0%

Foreign-Born

White 71.3%

African American 17.7%

Asian 2.5%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 6.0%

Hispanic or Latino 5.3%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$91,847

Median Household Income

+44% vs state

$60,637

Per Capita Income

6.1%

Poverty Rate

2.6%

Unemployment Rate

20.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 29206 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$91,847 Top 25% higher than 75% of 30,318 US ZIPs

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 70.3%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 61.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

9,430

Total Housing Units

8,552

Occupied Units

878

Vacant Units

2.31

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 65.7%

Renter 34.3%

$369,500

Median Home Value

+63% vs state

$1,419

Median Rent

1968

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+7.9%

YoY Change (2024)

242

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+142%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 29206 have increased 7.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +142% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+2.8%	170
2021	+8.3%	184
2022	+14.2%	210
2023	+7.0%	225
2024	+7.9%	242

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 547 business establishments in ZIP 29206, employing approximately 6,554 people with a combined annual payroll of $270,720,000.

547

Businesses

6,554

Employees

$270.7M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	100	18.3%
Accommodation and food services	73	13.3%
Health care and social assistance	64	11.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	63	11.5%
Other services (except public administration)	59	10.8%
Finance and insurance	48	8.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing	44	8.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	22	4.0%
Construction	18	3.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	13	2.4%
Educational services	11	2.0%
Wholesale trade	10	1.8%
Transportation and warehousing	7	1.3%
Information	7	1.3%
Manufacturing	4	0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	3	0.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 29206 vs 29204 →

29223

50,141
29209

33,324
29205

24,822
29201

20,594
29204

19,952
29206

17,788
29207

11,592
29225

1,228
29208

695

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 29206 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

29206

$91,847
29205

$64,231
29223

$62,408
29209

$58,772
29204

$50,189
29201

$32,297

What this shows By household income, ZIP 29206 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
29204	Columbia, SC	19,952	2.4 mi
29147	State Park, SC	0	4.4 mi
29205	Columbia, SC	24,822	3.5 mi
29225	Columbia, SC	1,228	4.4 mi
29208	Columbia, SC	695	4.5 mi
29223	Columbia, SC	50,141	4.9 mi
29202	Columbia, SC	135	4.8 mi
29209	Columbia, SC	33,324	7.2 mi
29201	Columbia, SC	20,594	5.1 mi
29207	Columbia, SC	11,592	6.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Richland County

Richland County Columbia, SC South Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 29206 in? ▼

ZIP code 29206 (Columbia) is located in Richland County, South Carolina. Richland County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/richland-sc.

What is the population of ZIP code 29206? ▼

ZIP code 29206 in Columbia, SC has a population of 17,788 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 29206? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 29206 is $91,847, which is 20% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 29206? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 29206 is $369,500, which is 33% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 29206? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 29206 is White at 71.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.3% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 29206? ▼

ZIP code 29206 has 547 business establishments employing approximately 6,554 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 29206? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 29206 are: Retail trade (100), Accommodation and food services (73), Health care and social assistance (64). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 29206? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 29206 increased by 7.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 142%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 29206? ▼

In ZIP code 29206, 70.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 61.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 29206? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 29206 is 20.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 29206? ▼

In ZIP code 29206, approximately 65.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 34.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29206? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 29206 is 6.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.