Walterboro, SC · standard
ZIP Code 29488
Colleton County, South Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 22,220
- 37/sq mi
- $49,876
- Median income
- $167,300
- Median home value
- 17.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Walterboro pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 14th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 33th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 37
- people per sq mi
- 67%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 29488 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 29488 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 595.7 square miles in Walterboro, Colleton County, South Carolina. The area is home to 22,220 residents, producing a population density of 37 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 29488 against South Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 29488 sits at $49,876 (22% below the South Carolina average), while per-capita income is $27,122. The poverty rate stands at 23.5% and the unemployment rate at 13.2%. On housing, the median home value is $167,300 (26% below the state average) with median rent at $950 per month, and 66.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 29488 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.8, and the average commute is 31 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Colleton County, so you can benchmark 29488 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 29488
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 29488.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
117 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
74 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
67 establishments
- Construction
Construction
55 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
50 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 29488, Walterboro, 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
22,220
Population
595.7
Area (sq mi)
37
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 29488?
38.8
Median Age
45.8%
Male
54.2%
Female
3.0%
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?
$49,876
Median Household Income
-22% vs state
$27,122
Per Capita Income
23.5%
Poverty Rate
13.2%
Unemployment Rate
31.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 29488 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$49,876 14th percentile higher than 14% 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?
9,971
Total Housing Units
9,136
Occupied Units
835
Vacant Units
2.41
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$167,300
Median Home Value
-26% vs state
$950
Median Rent
1985
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
+6.0%
YoY Change (2024)
269
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+169%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 29488 have increased 6.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +169% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.4% | 173 |
| 2021 | +12.9% | 195 |
| 2022 | +19.1% | 233 |
| 2023 | +9.2% | 254 |
| 2024 | +6.0% | 269 |
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 598 business establishments in ZIP 29488, employing approximately 5,981 people with a combined annual payroll of $286,060,000.
598
Businesses
5,981
Employees
$286.1M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 117 | 19.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 74 | 12.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 67 | 11.2% |
| Construction | 55 | 9.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 50 | 8.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 44 | 7.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 44 | 7.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 25 | 4.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 22 | 3.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 22 | 3.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 21 | 3.5% |
| Manufacturing | 18 | 3.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 15 | 2.5% |
| Information | 11 | 1.8% |
| Utilities | 4 | 0.7% |
| Educational services | 4 | 0.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 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 29488 vs 29475 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29475 | Ruffin, SC | 2,874 | 9.2 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Colleton County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Walterboro, 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.