PlainZIP

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 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 South Carolina average), while per-capita income is $92,164. Local economic indicators show a 11.5% poverty rate alongside 7.4% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $828,500 (266% above the state average); renters pay a median of - monthly, and 94.7% of units 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. A geography-based comparison follows: 4 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 29685, plus 6 more within Pickens County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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.

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 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

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 29685?

57.8

Median Age

55.0%

Male

45.0%

Female

2.2%

Foreign-Born

White 96.2%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%

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

Sunset, SC 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

$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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $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 69.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 49.7%

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

Owner 94.7%
Renter 5.3%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 29685 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 29685 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 29685 ranks #2 of 5 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
28772 Rosman, NC 1,239 9.0 mi
29676 Salem, SC 5,201 7.4 mi
29671 Pickens, SC 18,030 8.0 mi
28774 Sapphire, NC 1,013 11.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Pickens County

29640 standard
Easley, SC
Pop: 30,574
29642 standard
Easley, SC
Pop: 29,561
29671 standard
Pickens, SC
Pop: 18,030
29657 standard
Liberty, SC
Pop: 15,116
29630 standard
Central, SC
Pop: 14,186
29631 standard
Clemson, SC
Pop: 13,318

Related Areas

Pickens County Sunset, SC South Carolina

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.

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