Charleston, SC · standard
ZIP Code 29403
Charleston County, South Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 20,818
- 1,504/sq mi
- $66,944
- Median income
- $674,000
- Median home value
- 60.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Charleston pairs a below-median household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.
- 42th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 7%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,504
- people per sq mi
- 33%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 29403 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 29403 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 13.8 square miles in Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina. The area is home to 20,818 residents, producing a population density of 1,504 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 29403 against South Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 29403 sits at $66,944 (5% above the South Carolina average), while per-capita income is $49,758. The poverty rate stands at 25.8% and the unemployment rate at 4.9%. On housing, the median home value is $674,000 (198% above the state average) with median rent at $1,798 per month, and 32.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 29403 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 60.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30, and the average commute is 17 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Charleston County, so you can benchmark 29403 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 29403
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 29403.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
191 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
184 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
108 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
105 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
92 establishments
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 29403, Charleston, SC · 2023 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
20,818
Population
13.8
Area (sq mi)
1,504
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 29403?
30.0
Median Age
44.1%
Male
55.9%
Female
4.0%
Foreign-Born
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?
$66,944
Median Household Income
+5% vs state
$49,758
Per Capita Income
25.8%
Poverty Rate
4.9%
Unemployment Rate
17.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 29403 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$66,944 42nd percentile higher than 42% 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
13,460
Total Housing Units
10,862
Occupied Units
2,598
Vacant Units
2.02
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$674,000
Median Home Value
+198% vs state
$1,798
Median Rent
1964
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
+7.3%
YoY Change (2024)
505
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+405%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 29403 have increased 7.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +405% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.4% | 315 |
| 2021 | +8.2% | 341 |
| 2022 | +18.9% | 406 |
| 2023 | +16.1% | 471 |
| 2024 | +7.3% | 505 |
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 1,020 business establishments in ZIP 29403, employing approximately 13,595 people with a combined annual payroll of $846,213,000.
1,020
Businesses
13,595
Employees
$846.2M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 191 | 18.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 184 | 18.0% |
| Retail trade | 108 | 10.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 105 | 10.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 92 | 9.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 71 | 7.0% |
| Construction | 52 | 5.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 45 | 4.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 36 | 3.5% |
| Information | 28 | 2.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 27 | 2.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 24 | 2.4% |
| Educational services | 19 | 1.9% |
| Manufacturing | 17 | 1.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 16 | 1.6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5 | 0.5% |
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 29403 vs 29409 →
ZIP 29403 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 29464
Mount Pleasant (29464)
43,649 residents
- 29412
Charleston (29412)
35,850 residents
- 29407
Charleston (29407)
34,827 residents
- 29405
North Charleston (29405)
26,328 residents
- 29403
Charleston (29403)
20,818 residents
- 29401 10,895
Charleston (29401)
10,895 residents
- 29492 10,262
Charleston (29492)
10,262 residents
- 29439 2,399
Folly Beach (29439)
2,399 residents
- 29409 2,100
Charleston (29409)
2,100 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 29403 ranks #5 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 29403 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 29482
Sullivans Island (29482)
$192,813 median income
- 29439
Folly Beach (29439)
$137,396 median income
- 29464
Mount Pleasant (29464)
$111,907 median income
- 29492
Charleston (29492)
$110,509 median income
- 29412
Charleston (29412)
$101,509 median income
- 29401
Charleston (29401)
$99,667 median income
- 29407
Charleston (29407)
$85,367 median income
- 29403 $66,944
Charleston (29403)
$66,944 median income
- 29405 $56,600
North Charleston (29405)
$56,600 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 29403 ranks #8 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29409 | Charleston, SC | 2,100 | 1.1 mi |
| 29424 | Charleston, SC | 389 | 1.5 mi |
| 29401 | Charleston, SC | 10,895 | 1.9 mi |
| 29407 | Charleston, SC | 34,827 | 3.2 mi |
| 29405 | North Charleston, SC | 26,328 | 4.1 mi |
| 29412 | Charleston, SC | 35,850 | 6.6 mi |
| 29464 | Mount Pleasant, SC | 43,649 | 5.2 mi |
| 29482 | Sullivans Island, SC | 1,791 | 6.8 mi |
| 29439 | Folly Beach, SC | 2,399 | 9.6 mi |
| 29492 | Charleston, SC | 10,262 | 8.3 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Charleston County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 29403 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 29403? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 29403? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 29403? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 29403? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 29403? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 29403? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 29403? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 29403? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 29403? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 29403? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29403? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Charleston, SC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.