Chester, SC · standard
ZIP Code 29706
Chester County, South Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 19,847
- 28/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $51,230
- Median income Below-median income area
- $158,800
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 14.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Chester pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 16th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 29th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 28
- people per sq mi
- 75%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 29706 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 29706 (Chester, SC) fell -2.2% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 230.9 in 2023 to 225.8 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 29706 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chester, Chester County, South Carolina, home to 19,847 residents across 706.3 square miles, a density of 28 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 29706 reports a modest median household income of $51,230 (20% below the average South Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $27,839. The poverty rate is 21.6%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $158,800 (30% below the average South Carolina ZIP), and median rent is $785; owner occupancy is 74.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.9, and the average commute is 30 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Chester County, so 29706 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 29706
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chester, SC
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 29706.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
68 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
53 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
37 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
31 establishments
- Construction 25
Construction
25 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 29706, Chester, 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
19,847
Population
706.3
Area (sq mi)
28
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 29706?
42.9
Median Age
49.6%
Male
50.4%
Female
1.3%
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?
$51,230
Median Household Income
-20% vs state ZIP avg
$27,839
Per Capita Income
21.6%
Poverty Rate
6.6%
Unemployment Rate
30.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 29706 ranks among South Carolina ZIPs
Chester, 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)
$51,230 30th percentile higher than 30% 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
8,874housing units
8,874
Total Housing Units
7,881
Occupied Units
993
Vacant Units
2.36
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$158,800
Median Home Value
-30% vs state ZIP avg
$785
Median Rent
1975
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
-2.2%
YoY Change (2024)
226
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+126%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 29706 have decreased 2.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +126% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.5% | 142 |
| 2021 | +17.0% | 166 |
| 2022 | +20.7% | 201 |
| 2023 | +14.9% | 231 |
| 2024 | -2.2% | 226 |
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 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 349 business establishments in ZIP 29706, employing approximately 4,812 people with a combined annual payroll of $232,473,000.
349
Businesses
4,812
Employees
$232.5M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 68 | 19.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 53 | 15.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 37 | 10.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 31 | 8.9% |
| Construction | 25 | 7.2% |
| Manufacturing | 21 | 6.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 21 | 6.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 21 | 6.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 20 | 5.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14 | 4.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 10 | 2.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 7 | 2.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 6 | 1.7% |
| Information | 6 | 1.7% |
| Educational services | 4 | 1.1% |
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 29706 vs 29726 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29726 | Mc Connells, SC | 1,750 | 9.7 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 29706, 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 (19,847 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Chester County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 29706 in?
ZIP code 29706 (Chester) is located in Chester County, South Carolina. Chester County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/chester-sc.
What is the population of ZIP code 29706?
ZIP code 29706 in Chester, SC has a population of 19,847 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 29706?
The median household income in ZIP 29706 is $51,230, which is 33% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 29706?
The median home value in ZIP 29706 is $158,800, which is 43% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 29706?
The largest racial group in ZIP 29706 is White at 53.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 29706?
ZIP code 29706 has 349 business establishments employing approximately 4,812 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 29706?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 29706 are: Retail trade (68), Other services (except public administration) (53), Health care and social assistance (37). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 29706?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 29706 decreased by 2.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 126%. 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 29706?
In ZIP code 29706, 56.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.2% 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 29706?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 29706 is 30.4 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 29706?
In ZIP code 29706, approximately 74.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 25.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29706?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 29706 is 21.6% 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 29706's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 29706 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Chester, SC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.