Salem, SC · standard

ZIP Code 29676

Oconee 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

5,201
28/sq mi: $92,798
Median income: $416,800
Median home value: 50.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Salem pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 24%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 19%
home value, US ZIPs: 28
people per sq mi: 95%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 29676 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 29676 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 189.1 square miles in Salem, Oconee County, South Carolina. The area is home to 5,201 residents, producing a population density of 28 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 29676 against South Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 29676 sits at $92,798 (46% above the South Carolina average), while per-capita income is $64,527. The poverty rate stands at 8.1% and the unemployment rate at 2.6%. On housing, the median home value is $416,800 (84% above the state average) with median rent at $940 per month, and 94.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 29676 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 50.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 64.3, and the average commute is 30 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Oconee County, so you can benchmark 29676 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 29676

Real estate and rental and leasing

19
Construction

16
Retail trade

10
Professional, scientific, and technical services

10
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services

7

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 29676, Salem, 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

5,201

Population

189.1

Area (sq mi)

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 29676?

64.3

Median Age

54.6%

Male

45.4%

Female

1.3%

Foreign-Born

White 94.0%

African American 0.0%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.7%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%

Two or More Ethnicities 4.0%

Hispanic or Latino 2.1%

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?

$92,798

Median Household Income

+46% vs state

$64,527

Per Capita Income

8.1%

Poverty Rate

2.6%

Unemployment Rate

29.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 29676 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$92,798 Top 24% higher than 76% 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 68.0%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 50.4%

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

What does housing look like?

3,781

Total Housing Units

2,815

Occupied Units

966

Vacant Units

2.14

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 94.6%

Renter 5.4%

$416,800

Median Home Value

+84% vs state

$940

Median Rent

1994

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

+57.4%

YoY Change (2022)

241

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+141%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 29676 have increased 57.4% over the past year (2022). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +141% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2018	+19.0%	134
2019	+3.7%	139
2020	+4.7%	146
2021	+5.0%	153
2022	+57.4%	241

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 2022. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 95 business establishments in ZIP 29676, employing approximately 658 people with a combined annual payroll of $34,061,000.

Businesses

658

Employees

$34.1M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Real estate and rental and leasing	19	20.0%
Construction	16	16.8%
Retail trade	10	10.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	10	10.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	7	7.4%
Other services (except public administration)	7	7.4%
Wholesale trade	4	4.2%
Health care and social assistance	4	4.2%
Utilities	3	3.2%
Finance and insurance	3	3.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	3	3.2%

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 29676 vs 29686 →

29691

11,333
29676

5,201
29682

3,818
28717

1,729
29685

1,230
29686

1,027

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 29676 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

29685

$116,742
29676

$92,798
29682

$83,808
28717

$76,085
29686

$58,313
29691

$49,639

What this shows By household income, ZIP 29676 ranks #2 of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
29686	Tamassee, SC	1,027	4.9 mi
29685	Sunset, SC	1,230	7.4 mi
29682	Six Mile, SC	3,818	9.4 mi
29691	Walhalla, SC	11,333	12.5 mi
28717	Cashiers, NC	1,729	12.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Oconee County

Oconee County Salem, SC South Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 29676 in? ▼

ZIP code 29676 (Salem) is located in Oconee County, South Carolina. Oconee County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/oconee-sc.

What is the population of ZIP code 29676? ▼

ZIP code 29676 in Salem, SC has a population of 5,201 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 29676? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 29676 is $92,798, which is 22% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 29676? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 29676 is $416,800, which is 50% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 29676? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 29676 is White at 94.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.1% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 29676? ▼

ZIP code 29676 has 95 business establishments employing approximately 658 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 29676? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 29676 are: Real estate and rental and leasing (19), Construction (16), Retail trade (10). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 29676? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 29676 increased by 57.4% in 2022. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 141%. 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 29676? ▼

In ZIP code 29676, 68.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 50.4% 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 29676? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 29676 is 29.6 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 29676? ▼

In ZIP code 29676, approximately 94.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 5.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29676? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 29676 is 8.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.