Sunset, SC · standard
ZIP Code 29685
Pickens County, South Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,230
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $116,742
- Median income Above-median income area
- $828,500
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 49.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Sunset pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 11%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 4%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 95%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 29685 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 29685 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Sunset, Pickens County, South Carolina, home to just 1,230 residents across 223.6 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 29685 skews affluent, with a median household income of $116,742 (83% above the average South Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $92,164. The poverty rate is 11.5%, with unemployment at 7.4%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $828,500 (266% above the average South Carolina ZIP), while 94.7% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 49.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 57.8, and the average commute is 29 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Pickens County, so 29685 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 29685
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sunset, SC
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 29685.
- Construction
Construction
6 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
5 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
5 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
4 establishments
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
3 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 29685, Sunset, 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
1,230
Population
223.6
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 29685?
57.8
Median Age
55.0%
Male
45.0%
Female
2.2%
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?
$116,742
Median Household Income
+83% vs state ZIP avg
$92,164
Per Capita Income
11.5%
Poverty Rate
7.4%
Unemployment Rate
29.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 29685 ranks among South Carolina ZIPs
Sunset, SC household income vs. every South Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 384 reporting South Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$116,742 Top 3% higher than 97% of 384 South Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more South Carolina 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,490housing units
1,490
Total Housing Units
856
Occupied Units
634
Vacant Units
2.25
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$828,500
Median Home Value
+266% vs state ZIP avg
2002
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 25 business establishments in ZIP 29685, employing approximately 277 people with a combined annual payroll of $17,455,000.
25
Businesses
277
Employees
$17.5M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 6 | 24.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 5 | 20.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 20.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 16.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 12.0% |
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 29685 vs 28772 →
ZIP 29685 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 29671
Pickens (29671)
18,030 residents
- 29676 5,201
Salem (29676)
5,201 residents
- 28772 1,239
Rosman (28772)
1,239 residents
- 29685 1,230
Sunset (29685)
1,230 residents
- 28774 1,013
Sapphire (28774)
1,013 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 29685 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 29685 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28774
Sapphire (28774)
$154,635 median income
- 29685
Sunset (29685)
$116,742 median income
- 29676
Salem (29676)
$92,798 median income
- 28772
Rosman (28772)
$74,583 median income
- 29671 $61,749
Pickens (29671)
$61,749 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 29685 ranks #2 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 29685, both outside SC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,230 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Pickens County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 29685 in?
ZIP code 29685 (Sunset) is located in Pickens County, South Carolina. Pickens County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/pickens-sc.
What is the population of ZIP code 29685?
ZIP code 29685 in Sunset, SC has a population of 1,230 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 29685?
The median household income in ZIP 29685 is $116,742, which is 53% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 29685?
The median home value in ZIP 29685 is $828,500, which is 198% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 29685?
The largest racial group in ZIP 29685 is White at 96.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 29685?
ZIP code 29685 has 25 business establishments employing approximately 277 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 29685?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 29685 are: Construction (6), Professional, scientific, and technical services (5), Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (5). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 29685?
In ZIP code 29685, 69.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 49.7% 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 29685?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 29685 is 29.0 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 29685?
In ZIP code 29685, approximately 94.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 5.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29685?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 29685 is 11.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 29685's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 29685 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Sunset, SC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.