29920 ZIP Code — Saint Helena Island, SC

Beaufort County, South Carolina

ZIP code 29920 is located in Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, within Beaufort County. It covers approximately 97.62 square miles and serves a population of 10,482 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 843.

About ZIP code 29920

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 $288,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $69,025. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 60% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 32 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 33% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (17%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 29920 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

10,482

population

97.62

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

29920 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 29920

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 29920. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Saint Helena Island	Acceptable
Saint Helena Island	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

29907 Beaufort (5.9 mi) 29935 Port Royal (9.2 mi) 29902 Beaufort (9.4 mi) 29906 Beaufort (14 mi) 29940 Seabrook (16.2 mi) 29926 Hilton Head Island (16.5 mi) 29928 Hilton Head Island (18.7 mi) 29438 Edisto Island (18.8 mi) 29446 Green Pond (19.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	10,482
Population density	107 / sq mi
State FIPS	45
County FIPS	013

Geography
Land area	97.62 sq mi
Water area	45.26 sq mi
Latitude	32.3777
Longitude	-80.5397
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	40.9%	34.2%	45.8%
$50k – $100k	34.1%	32.9%	30.5%
$100k – $200k	18.5%	23.6%	18.6%
Over $200k	6.5%	9.3%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

10,482

Population

107

People per sq mi

54.4

Median age

$69,025

Median household income

$39,335

Per capita income

$288,500

Median home value

$979

Median monthly rent

88.2%

Home ownership

18.3%

Poverty rate

1.1%

Unemployment

6,536

Housing units

32.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

325

Under 5

302

181

5–9

168

299

10–14

278

202

15–19

189

342

20–24

319

424

25–34

396

307

35–44

286

698

45–54

650

436

55–59

407

529

60–64

493

1,171

65–74

1,091

398

75–84

371

114

85+

106

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,816	17.3%
18 and over	8,666	82.7%
65 and over	3,251	31.0%
Median age	54.4 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 44.8%

White 41.1%

Hispanic or Latino 5.3%

Other race 4.7%

Two or more races 3.7%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	4,960	44.8%
White	4,548	41.1%
Hispanic or Latino	592	5.3%
Other race	526	4.7%
Two or more races	406	3.7%
Asian	42	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.9%	34.2%	45.8%
$50k – $100k	34.1%	32.9%	30.5%
$100k – $200k	18.5%	23.6%	18.6%
Over $200k	6.5%	9.3%	5.1%

Under $10k 4.0%

$10k–$15k 8.2%

$15k–$25k 6.6%

$25k–$35k 4.1%

$35k–$50k 10.8%

$50k–$75k 20.4%

$75k–$100k 15.9%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 5.8%

$200k+ 9.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.0%
$10k–$15k	8.2%
$15k–$25k	6.6%
$25k–$35k	4.1%
$35k–$50k	10.8%
$50k–$75k	20.4%
$75k–$100k	15.9%
$100k–$150k	15.3%
$150k–$200k	5.8%
$200k+	9.0%
Median income	$69,025

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.0%

$50k–$100k 7.4%

$100k–$150k 14.4%

$150k–$200k 4.4%

$200k–$300k 14.0%

$300k–$500k 24.6%

$500k–$1M 18.7%

$1M+ 4.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$288,500
Median rent / month	$979
Owner occupied	88.2%
Renter occupied	11.8%
Vacant	38.6%
Single-family detached	57.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.4%
Mobile homes	34.2%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.29

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	8.6%
2000–2009	25.4%
1990–1999	29.6%
1980–1989	19.4%
1970–1979	12.1%
1960–1969	1.6%
1950–1959	1.9%
1940–1949	0.9%
1939 or earlier	0.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	3.4%
2 bedrooms	20.5%
3 bedrooms	51.9%
4 bedrooms	18.6%
5+ bedrooms	4.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.6%
1 vehicle	34.3%
2 vehicles	45.9%
3 or more	15.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.8%
Electricity	90.6%
Propane / LP gas	6.7%
Fuel oil	0.4%
Wood	0.3%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,143	49.6%
Cohabiting couple	191	4.4%
Male householder, no spouse	927	21.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,062	24.6%
Households with children under 18	846	19.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,373	54.9%
Average household size	2.36

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.2%	21.9%
Married	48.4%	55.2%
Separated	1.9%	2.1%
Widowed	5.3%	13.7%
Divorced	8.3%	7.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.7%

Some HS, no diploma 8.0%

HS graduate 30.9%

Some college, no degree 19.4%

Associate's degree 5.5%

Bachelor's degree 14.7%

Graduate / professional 17.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.3%
Bachelor's or higher	32.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	449	25.2%
Kindergarten	129	7.2%
Elementary school	652	36.6%
High school	317	17.8%
College / grad school	234	13.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.5%

Professional & management 12.6%

Manufacturing 11.2%

Construction 10.7%

Other services 9.6%

Retail trade 9.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.1%

Agriculture & mining 5.0%

Finance & real estate 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.0%

Information 2.0%

Public administration 1.8%

Wholesale trade 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.9%
Service	15.8%
Sales & office	16.7%
Natural resources & construction	14.6%
Production & transportation	20.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.2%
Government	12.2%
Self-employed	5.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.9%
Carpool	11.8%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	7.5%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.3

Poverty

All people 18.3%

Under 18 years 41.5%

18 and over 13.4%

Married-couple families 7.5%

Female-led households 26.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	59.7%
Retirement income	47.8%
Supplemental Security	7.1%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.3%
High blood pressure	48.2%
High cholesterol	41.5%
Diabetes	16.6%
Heart disease	8.8%
Stroke	5.0%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	34.6%
Kidney disease	4.2%
Pulmonary disease	8.7%
Cancer	8.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.2%
Binge drinking	12.5%
No physical activity	27.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.5%
Depression	18.4%
Fair or poor health	19.7%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	13.2%
No health insurance	18.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	84.1%
Visited dentist	63.7%
Cholesterol screening	92.4%
Teeth loss	14.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	945	10.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.7%
Under 18	0.4%
18–64 years	17.6%
65 and over	30.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.0%
Public insurance	51.2%
No insurance	10.4%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	9,855	94.0%
Spanish	566	5.7%
Other Indo-European	543	5.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	15	0.2%
Other languages	8	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,849	94.0%
Born in same state	9,812	93.6%
Born in different state	5,253	50.1%
Foreign born	37	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	633	6.0%
Not a US citizen	108	17.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	916	8.7%
Arab	463	4.4%
Italian	460	4.4%
English	61	0.6%
Dutch	51	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	25	0.2%
German	17	0.2%
Norwegian	14	0.1%
Irish	11	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.2%
Internet access	92.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 29920

What city is ZIP code 29920 in?

ZIP code 29920 is primarily assigned to Saint Helena Island, South Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 29920 in?

ZIP code 29920 falls within Beaufort County, South Carolina.

Does ZIP code 29920 have a large retiree population?

60% of households in ZIP code 29920 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 29920 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 29920 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 29920 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 29920 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29920?

18% of residents in ZIP code 29920 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 29920 in?

ZIP code 29920 observes the EST timezone.