29685 ZIP Code — Sunset, SC

Pickens County, South Carolina

ZIP code 29685 is located in Sunset, South Carolina, within Pickens County. It covers approximately 88.48 square miles and serves a population of 2,038 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 864.

About ZIP code 29685

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $569,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 98%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($99,861) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 33% 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 41% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 29685 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,038

population

88.48

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

29685 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 29685

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 29685. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sunset	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

29676 Salem (7.5 mi) 29671 Pickens (8.3 mi) 29682 Six Mile (9.2 mi) 28772 Rosman (10.5 mi) 28747 Lake Toxaway (11.5 mi) 28774 Sapphire (11.8 mi) 29686 Tamassee (12.1 mi) 29635 Cleveland (13.7 mi) 28717 Cashiers (15.4 mi) 29667 Norris (15.7 mi) 29696 West Union (16 mi) 29640 Easley (16.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,038
Population density	23 / sq mi
State FIPS	45
County FIPS	077

Geography
Land area	88.48 sq mi
Water area	7.18 sq mi
Latitude	34.9785
Longitude	-82.8495
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	864

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.2%	46.6%	45.8%
$50k – $100k	21.9%	30.1%	30.5%
$100k – $200k	22.5%	18.8%	18.6%
Over $200k	12.4%	4.4%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

2,038

Population

People per sq mi

54.1

Median age

$99,861

Median household income

$68,264

Per capita income

$569,300

Median home value

Median monthly rent

98.1%

Home ownership

9.9%

Poverty rate

8.4%

Unemployment

1,270

Housing units

40.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

100

15–19

20–24

25–34

123

35–44

165

45–54

122

113

55–59

167

60–64

122

178

65–74

131

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	327	16.0%
18 and over	1,711	84.0%
65 and over	505	24.8%
Median age	54.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.8%

Black or African American 2.7%

Two or more races 1.5%

Asian 0.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	1,939	94.8%
Black or African American	55	2.7%
Two or more races	30	1.5%
Asian	14	0.7%
Hispanic or Latino	7	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.2%	46.6%	45.8%
$50k – $100k	21.9%	30.1%	30.5%
$100k – $200k	22.5%	18.8%	18.6%
Over $200k	12.4%	4.4%	5.1%

Under $10k 3.0%

$10k–$15k 1.1%

$15k–$25k 11.5%

$25k–$35k 8.9%

$35k–$50k 6.5%

$50k–$75k 7.2%

$75k–$100k 11.9%

$100k–$150k 13.6%

$150k–$200k 12.7%

$200k+ 23.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.0%
$10k–$15k	1.1%
$15k–$25k	11.5%
$25k–$35k	8.9%
$35k–$50k	6.5%
$50k–$75k	7.2%
$75k–$100k	11.9%
$100k–$150k	13.6%
$150k–$200k	12.7%
$200k+	23.6%
Median income	$99,861

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.5%

$50k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 4.4%

$150k–$200k 4.7%

$200k–$300k 19.1%

$300k–$500k 2.3%

$500k–$1M 22.6%

$1M+ 30.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$569,300
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	98.1%
Renter occupied	1.9%
Vacant	34.4%
Single-family detached	88.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	10.4%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.40

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	28.5%
2000–2009	27.1%
1990–1999	9.7%
1980–1989	9.2%
1970–1979	8.6%
1960–1969	1.3%
1950–1959	4.8%
1940–1949	5.9%
1939 or earlier	4.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	1.9%
2 bedrooms	14.5%
3 bedrooms	32.6%
4 bedrooms	34.1%
5+ bedrooms	16.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.0%
1 vehicle	20.5%
2 vehicles	40.7%
3 or more	34.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.1%
Electricity	77.3%
Propane / LP gas	14.4%
Fuel oil	1.2%
Wood	6.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	602	71.4%
Cohabiting couple	44	5.2%
Male householder, no spouse	114	13.5%
Female householder, no spouse	83	9.8%
Households with children under 18	163	19.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	333	39.5%
Average household size	2.37

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.6%	13.3%
Married	63.3%	69.6%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.9%	5.6%
Divorced	13.2%	11.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 6.8%

HS graduate 24.9%

Some college, no degree 17.1%

Associate's degree 9.0%

Bachelor's degree 23.1%

Graduate / professional 17.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.5%
Bachelor's or higher	40.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	19	4.8%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	180	45.2%
High school	174	43.7%
College / grad school	25	6.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Transportation & utilities 19.4%

Education & healthcare 17.3%

Construction 15.5%

Manufacturing 11.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.3%

Professional & management 8.3%

Retail trade 5.9%

Wholesale trade 5.0%

Finance & real estate 2.3%

Other services 2.3%

Public administration 1.4%

Information 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.2%
Service	10.4%
Sales & office	8.8%
Natural resources & construction	14.0%
Production & transportation	26.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	89.3%
Government	7.0%
Self-employed	3.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.3%
Carpool	1.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	19.4%
Other means	2.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.0

Poverty

All people 9.9%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 11.7%

Married-couple families 8.8%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.6%
Retirement income	37.4%
Supplemental Security	3.9%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.4%
High blood pressure	41.3%
High cholesterol	44.3%
Diabetes	13.0%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	35.7%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	9.3%
Cancer	8.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.1%
Binge drinking	16.1%
No physical activity	24.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.2%
Depression	23.0%
Fair or poor health	15.7%
Poor mental health	13.4%
Poor physical health	12.5%
No health insurance	12.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.9%
Visited dentist	68.3%
Cholesterol screening	92.6%
Teeth loss	13.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	185	10.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	8.9%
Under 18	3.2%
18–64 years	5.6%
65 and over	20.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	76.8%
Public insurance	34.9%
No insurance	6.8%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,994	97.8%
Spanish	4	0.2%
Other Indo-European	4	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,989	97.6%
Born in same state	1,973	96.8%
Born in different state	1,059	52.0%
Foreign born	16	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	49	2.4%
Not a US citizen	34	69.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	598	29.3%
Italian	303	14.9%
Arab	249	12.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	24	1.2%
Polish	4	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.4%
Internet access	93.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 29685

What city is ZIP code 29685 in?

ZIP code 29685 is primarily assigned to Sunset, South Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 29685 in?

ZIP code 29685 falls within Pickens County, South Carolina.

Is ZIP code 29685 mostly owner-occupied?

98% of occupied units in ZIP code 29685 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 29685 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 29685 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 29685?

The median home value in ZIP code 29685 is $569,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 29685?

ZIP code 29685 has an estimated population of 2,038 residents, with a density of 23 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 29685 in?

ZIP code 29685 observes the EST timezone.