PlainZIP

Nichols, SC · standard

ZIP Code 29581

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

4,650
11/sq mi
$54,701
Median income
$88,500
Median home value
14.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Nichols pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

21th pct
household income, US ZIPs
6th pct
home value, US ZIPs
11
people per sq mi
76%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 29581 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 29581 covers 418.9 square miles in Nichols, Horry County, South Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,650 residents on file, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 29581 reports a modest median household income of $54,701 (14% below the South Carolina average), while per-capita income is $27,938. Poverty here runs at 28.3%, with unemployment measured at 4.4%. The typical home here is valued at $88,500 (61% below the state average); renters pay a median of $775 monthly, and 76.1% of units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.2, and the average commute is 31 minutes. To put 29581 in local context, 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Horry County, for a geography-aware comparison.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 29581

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Nichols, SC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 29581.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 29581, Nichols, SC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

4,650

Population

418.9

Area (sq mi)

11

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 29581?

39.2

Median Age

49.8%

Male

50.2%

Female

0.9%

Foreign-Born

White 69.8%
African American 28.8%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

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?

$54,701

Median Household Income

-14% vs state

$27,938

Per Capita Income

28.3%

Poverty Rate

4.4%

Unemployment Rate

31.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 29581 ranks nationally

Nichols, SC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$54,701 21st percentile higher than 21% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 50.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 14.1%

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

What does housing look like?

2,154

Total Housing Units

1,794

Occupied Units

360

Vacant Units

2.70

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 76.1%
Renter 23.9%

$88,500

Median Home Value

-61% vs state

$775

Median Rent

1982

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 29 business establishments in ZIP 29581, employing approximately 162 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,930,000.

29

Businesses

162

Employees

$5.9M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 4 13.8%
Wholesale trade 4 13.8%
Retail trade 4 13.8%
Other services (except public administration) 4 13.8%
Manufacturing 3 10.3%

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 29581 vs 29545 →

ZIP 29581 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 29581 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 29581 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 29581 ranks the highest of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
29545 Green Sea, SC 1,657 8.7 mi
28439 Fair Bluff, NC 1,595 8.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Horry County

29526 standard
Conway, SC
Pop: 39,033
29588 standard
Myrtle Beach, SC
Pop: 36,499
29579 standard
Myrtle Beach, SC
Pop: 32,180
29577 standard
Myrtle Beach, SC
Pop: 26,996
29576 standard
Murrells Inlet, SC
Pop: 24,446
29527 standard
Conway, SC
Pop: 22,027

Related Areas

Horry County Nichols, SC South Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 29581 in? ▼
ZIP code 29581 (Nichols) is located in Horry County, South Carolina. Horry County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/horry-sc.
What is the population of ZIP code 29581? ▼
ZIP code 29581 in Nichols, SC has a population of 4,650 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 29581? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 29581 is $54,701, which is 28% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 29581? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 29581 is $88,500, which is 68% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 29581? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 29581 is White at 69.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 29581? ▼
ZIP code 29581 has 29 business establishments employing approximately 162 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 29581? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 29581 are: Construction (4), Wholesale trade (4), Retail trade (4). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 29581? ▼
In ZIP code 29581, 50.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.1% 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 29581? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 29581 is 31.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 29581? ▼
In ZIP code 29581, approximately 76.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29581? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 29581 is 28.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.