29581 ZIP Code — Nichols, SC

Horry County, South Carolina

ZIP code 29581 is located in Nichols, South Carolina, within Horry County. It covers approximately 164.68 square miles and serves a population of 4,436 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 843.

About ZIP code 29581

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $108,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $48,173. Poverty affects 27% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 8% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 29581 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

4,436

population

164.68

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

29581 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 29581

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 29581. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Nichols	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28439 Fair Bluff (8.2 mi) 29545 Green Sea (8.4 mi) 29574 Mullins (9 mi) 29543 Fork (10.2 mi) 28430 Cerro Gordo (11.8 mi) 29563 Lake View (12 mi) 28369 Orrum (15.4 mi) 29544 Galivants Ferry (15.6 mi) 28340 Fairmont (15.9 mi) 29511 Aynor (16.4 mi) 28431 Chadbourn (16.9 mi) 29569 Loris (17.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,436
Population density	27 / sq mi
State FIPS	45
County FIPS	051

Geography
Land area	164.68 sq mi
Water area	0.92 sq mi
Latitude	34.2129
Longitude	-79.1112
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	843

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.2%	48.3%	45.8%
$50k – $100k	23.3%	32.7%	30.5%
$100k – $200k	13.1%	15.6%	18.6%
Over $200k	0.4%	3.5%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

4,436

Population

People per sq mi

34.1

Median age

$48,173

Median household income

$22,386

Per capita income

$108,900

Median home value

$752

Median monthly rent

78.2%

Home ownership

27.4%

Poverty rate

5.2%

Unemployment

1,731

Housing units

7.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

192

Under 5

172

208

5–9

186

254

10–14

227

114

15–19

102

129

20–24

115

318

25–34

285

229

35–44

204

288

45–54

257

120

55–59

108

138

60–64

124

249

65–74

222

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,280	28.9%
18 and over	3,156	71.1%
65 and over	666	15.0%
Median age	34.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 72.2%

Black or African American 25%

Two or more races 2.7%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,202	72.2%
Black or African American	1,110	25%
Two or more races	120	2.7%
Asian	4	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.2%	48.3%	45.8%
$50k – $100k	23.3%	32.7%	30.5%
$100k – $200k	13.1%	15.6%	18.6%
Over $200k	0.4%	3.5%	5.1%

Under $10k 14.1%

$10k–$15k 3.6%

$15k–$25k 6.3%

$25k–$35k 9.5%

$35k–$50k 19.0%

$50k–$75k 20.8%

$75k–$100k 15.3%

$100k–$150k 6.4%

$150k–$200k 0.6%

$200k+ 4.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	14.1%
$10k–$15k	3.6%
$15k–$25k	6.3%
$25k–$35k	9.5%
$35k–$50k	19.0%
$50k–$75k	20.8%
$75k–$100k	15.3%
$100k–$150k	6.4%
$150k–$200k	0.6%
$200k+	4.4%
Median income	$48,173

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.5%

$50k–$100k 31.8%

$100k–$150k 16.8%

$150k–$200k 19.9%

$200k–$300k 8.3%

$300k–$500k 7.9%

$500k–$1M 1.2%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$108,900
Median rent / month	$752
Owner occupied	78.2%
Renter occupied	21.8%
Vacant	25.5%
Single-family detached	52.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.2%
Mobile homes	44.1%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	3.11

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	13.4%
2000–2009	3.8%
1990–1999	23.2%
1980–1989	14.9%
1970–1979	18.6%
1960–1969	12.5%
1950–1959	6.7%
1940–1949	1.3%
1939 or earlier	5.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.2%
1 bedroom	3.1%
2 bedrooms	22.8%
3 bedrooms	59.3%
4 bedrooms	10.8%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.5%
1 vehicle	29.0%
2 vehicles	37.4%
3 or more	29.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	84.5%
Propane / LP gas	12.5%
Fuel oil	0.1%
No fuel used	2.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	740	48.1%
Cohabiting couple	187	12.1%
Male householder, no spouse	255	16.6%
Female householder, no spouse	358	23.2%
Households with children under 18	456	29.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	485	31.5%
Average household size	2.88

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.8%	34.0%
Married	52.5%	48.1%
Separated	3.6%	0.7%
Widowed	4.3%	10.9%
Divorced	8.7%	6.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 14.9%

HS graduate 46.6%

Some college, no degree 13.2%

Associate's degree 15.5%

Bachelor's degree 4.0%

Graduate / professional 3.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.9%
Bachelor's or higher	7.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	77	6.7%
Kindergarten	76	6.6%
Elementary school	688	59.5%
High school	161	13.9%
College / grad school	154	13.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 17.6%

Construction 15.0%

Retail trade 15.0%

Public administration 11.7%

Other services 10.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.5%

Information 4.7%

Agriculture & mining 4.1%

Transportation & utilities 3.4%

Manufacturing 3.2%

Professional & management 3.1%

Finance & real estate 1.2%

Wholesale trade 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	21.0%
Service	30.1%
Sales & office	18.1%
Natural resources & construction	20.3%
Production & transportation	10.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.7%
Government	20.6%
Self-employed	3.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	92.2%
Carpool	5.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	1.5%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.6

Poverty

All people 27.4%

Under 18 years 51.6%

18 and over 17.6%

Married-couple families 2.6%

Female-led households 52.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.4%
Retirement income	24.2%
Supplemental Security	6.1%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.8%
High blood pressure	43.9%
High cholesterol	38.2%
Diabetes	14.8%
Heart disease	8.5%
Stroke	4.7%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	32.7%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	10.2%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.7%
Binge drinking	15.7%
No physical activity	32.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.5%
Depression	23.1%
Fair or poor health	21.3%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	14.5%
No health insurance	20.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.7%
Visited dentist	56.0%
Cholesterol screening	88.8%
Teeth loss	21.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	254	8.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.1%
Under 18	0.2%
18–64 years	15.5%
65 and over	35.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	46.0%
Public insurance	51.4%
No insurance	11.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,072	91.8%
Spanish	5	0.1%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,414	99.5%
Born in same state	4,414	99.5%
Born in different state	3,497	78.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	22	0.5%
Not a US citizen	18	81.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	995	22.4%
French	793	17.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	109	2.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.7%
Internet access	87.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 29581

What city is ZIP code 29581 in?

ZIP code 29581 is primarily assigned to Nichols, South Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 29581 in?

ZIP code 29581 falls within Horry County, South Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29581?

27% of residents in ZIP code 29581 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 29581?

8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 29581?

The median home value in ZIP code 29581 is $108,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 29581?

ZIP code 29581 has an estimated population of 4,436 residents, with a density of 27 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 29581 in?

ZIP code 29581 observes the EST timezone.