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
- $116,742
- Median income
- $828,500
- Median home value
- 49.7%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 223.6 square miles in Sunset, Pickens County, South Carolina. The area is home to 1,230 residents, producing a population density of 6 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 29685 against South Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 29685 sits at $116,742 (83% above the South Carolina average), while per-capita income is $92,164. The poverty rate stands at 11.5% and the unemployment rate at 7.4%. On housing, the median home value is $828,500 (266% above the state average) with median rent at — per month, and 94.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 29685 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 49.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 57.8, and the average commute is 29 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Pickens County, so you can benchmark 29685 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 29685
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + 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
$92,164
Per Capita Income
11.5%
Poverty Rate
7.4%
Unemployment Rate
29.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 29685 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$116,742 Top 11% higher than 89% 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?
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
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.
More ZIP Codes in Pickens County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 29685 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 29685? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 29685? ▼
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What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 29685? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 29685? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 29685? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 29685? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Sunset, 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.