29686 ZIP Code — Tamassee, SC

Oconee County, South Carolina

ZIP code 29686 is located in Tamassee, South Carolina, within Oconee County. It covers approximately 32.05 square miles and serves a population of 863 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 864.

About ZIP code 29686

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $206,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $83,125. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. 54% 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 31 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 29686 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

863

population

32.05

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

29686 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 29686

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 29686. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tamassee	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

29676 Salem (4.6 mi) 29691 Walhalla (7.2 mi) 29664 Mountain Rest (7.6 mi) 29696 West Union (8.1 mi) 29672 Seneca (11.2 mi) 29685 Sunset (12.1 mi) 29682 Six Mile (12.2 mi) 28717 Cashiers (12.8 mi) 28774 Sapphire (13.7 mi) 28741 Highlands (15.3 mi) 28747 Lake Toxaway (17.4 mi) 29693 Westminster (17.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	863
Population density	27 / sq mi
State FIPS	45
County FIPS	073

Geography
Land area	32.05 sq mi
Water area	0.42 sq mi
Latitude	34.8985
Longitude	-83.0393
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	48.6%	50.0%	45.8%
$50k – $100k	12.4%	28.2%	30.5%
$100k – $200k	31.4%	17.1%	18.6%
Over $200k	7.6%	4.7%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

863

Population

People per sq mi

48.2

Median age

$83,125

Median household income

$35,970

Per capita income

$206,700

Median home value

$790

Median monthly rent

75.3%

Home ownership

23.1%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

359

Housing units

26.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	124	14.4%
18 and over	739	85.6%
65 and over	223	25.8%
Median age	48.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.7%

Black or African American 6.2%

Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

Other race 4.5%

Group	Count	%
White	766	84.7%
Black or African American	56	6.2%
Hispanic or Latino	41	4.5%
Other race	41	4.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.6%	50.0%	45.8%
$50k – $100k	12.4%	28.2%	30.5%
$100k – $200k	31.4%	17.1%	18.6%
Over $200k	7.6%	4.7%	5.1%

$10k–$15k 12.3%

$15k–$25k 7.6%

$35k–$50k 13.3%

$50k–$75k 15.8%

$75k–$100k 8.2%

$100k–$150k 21.2%

$150k–$200k 17.1%

$200k+ 4.4%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	12.3%
$15k–$25k	7.6%
$35k–$50k	13.3%
$50k–$75k	15.8%
$75k–$100k	8.2%
$100k–$150k	21.2%
$150k–$200k	17.1%
$200k+	4.4%
Median income	$83,125

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.5%

$50k–$100k 0.4%

$100k–$150k 5.5%

$150k–$200k 26.9%

$200k–$300k 19.7%

$300k–$500k 26.1%

$1M+ 5.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$206,700
Median rent / month	$790
Owner occupied	75.3%
Renter occupied	24.7%
Vacant	27.7%
Single-family detached	91.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	4.8%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	14.4%
1990–1999	17.6%
1980–1989	37.3%
1970–1979	5.0%
1960–1969	5.3%
1950–1959	20.4%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.9%
1 bedroom	12.4%
2 bedrooms	23.8%
3 bedrooms	31.4%
4 bedrooms	21.7%
5+ bedrooms	6.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	15.2%
1 vehicle	0.0%
2 vehicles	54.4%
3 or more	30.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.1%
Electricity	76.6%
Propane / LP gas	11.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	218	69.0%
Cohabiting couple	1	0.3%
Male householder, no spouse	17	5.4%
Female householder, no spouse	80	25.3%
Households with children under 18	54	17.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	116	36.7%
Average household size	2.32

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.0%	30.0%
Married	62.9%	54.1%
Separated	0.3%	0.2%
Widowed	0.0%	4.1%
Divorced	13.8%	11.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 10.3%

HS graduate 42.1%

Some college, no degree 21.4%

Associate's degree 0.0%

Bachelor's degree 21.3%

Graduate / professional 4.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.7%
Bachelor's or higher	26.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	1	0.7%
Elementary school	92	60.1%
High school	59	38.6%
College / grad school	1	0.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.7%

Construction 12.6%

Agriculture & mining 10.7%

Retail trade 8.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.1%

Professional & management 6.8%

Transportation & utilities 6.3%

Wholesale trade 5.0%

Other services 4.7%

Public administration 4.5%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Manufacturing 2.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.6%
Service	21.2%
Sales & office	21.7%
Natural resources & construction	15.2%
Production & transportation	11.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.9%
Government	15.2%
Self-employed	8.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.2%
Carpool	12.0%
Public transit	10.7%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.8

Poverty

All people 23.1%

Under 18 years 3.0%

18 and over 25.0%

Married-couple families 3.7%

Female-led households 5.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	53.8%
Retirement income	32.0%
Supplemental Security	5.4%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	0.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.3%
High blood pressure	39.1%
High cholesterol	39.1%
Diabetes	11.7%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	32.8%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.2%
Cancer	8.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.3%
Binge drinking	16.4%
No physical activity	22.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.3%
Depression	22.7%
Fair or poor health	14.1%
Poor mental health	13.2%
Poor physical health	11.4%
No health insurance	12.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.0%
Visited dentist	69.7%
Cholesterol screening	92.5%
Teeth loss	11.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	69	9.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.7%
Under 18	25.0%
18–64 years	10.7%
65 and over	12.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.6%
Public insurance	46.8%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	27.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	863	100.0%
Spanish	41	4.8%
Other Indo-European	41	4.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	822	95.2%
Born in same state	804	93.2%
Born in different state	514	59.6%
Foreign born	18	2.1%
Naturalized citizen	41	4.8%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	107	12.4%
Italian	58	6.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	58	6.7%
Polish	19	2.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.6%
Internet access	93.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 29686

What city is ZIP code 29686 in?

ZIP code 29686 is primarily assigned to Tamassee, South Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 29686 in?

ZIP code 29686 falls within Oconee County, South Carolina.

Does ZIP code 29686 have a large retiree population?

54% of households in ZIP code 29686 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 29686 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 29686 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 29686?

23% of residents in ZIP code 29686 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 29686 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 29686 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 29686 in?

ZIP code 29686 observes the EST timezone.