Best Places29078, SC Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 29078, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
29078 ranks 15,293rd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on affordable childcare by a wide margin, and the weather ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 29078
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
29078's strengths and weaknesses
Where 29078 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$557 a month, better than 90% of zip codes
- Low property taxBetter than 86% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than 85% of zip codes
- Internet speedBetter than 82% of zip codes
- Voter turnoutBetter than 72% of zip codes
Where 29078 ranks low
- Nice weatherabout 70 pleasant days a year, better than only 26% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 31% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than only 32% of zip codes
- TransitBetter than only 35% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than only 37% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 29078
A household needs to earn about $53,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 29078 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $67,001, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 29078's effective rate of 0.45%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 7 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 29078
29078 runs older than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 29078.
Who works in 29078, and how
Work in 29078 centers on manufacturing and health care & social. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 88%
- Work from home 10%
- Transit, walk, or bike 1%
Life in 29078
29078 has fewer places to eat and drink per resident than most zip codes. That concentrates in some parts of 29078 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 29078, month by month
29078 sees roughly 70 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 degrees. January highs sit near 56, with lows near 35. The comfortable stretch runs March through May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 45° | 35° |
| April | 76° | 64° | 52° |
| July | 92° | 81° | 72° |
| October | 77° | 65° | 55° |
Flying in and out of 29078
The nearest airport, Columbia Metro, is about 30 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Charlotte/Douglas International, about 71 miles away.
The best schools in and around 29078
Schools across 29078 average a B, better than 71% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Lugoff ElementaryA− · 60% proficient
- Wateree ElementaryB+ · 55% proficient
- Camden ElementaryB · 50% proficient
Top middle schools
- Camden MiddleB− · 42% proficient
- Leslie M. Stover MiddleC · 35% proficient
- Lugoff-elgin MiddleC− · 30% proficient
Top high schools
- Lugoff-elgin HighA− · 65% proficient
- Spring Valley HighA− · 59% proficient
- Camden HighB+ · 56% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 29078 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
29078 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 29078 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 29078
Is 29078 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 29078 ranks 15,293rd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, low property taxes, and a strong job market, and lowest on the weather and summer heat. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 29078 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $211,776. The overall cost of living runs about 16% below the national average. Set against a $67,001 median income, cost of living beats 44% of zip codes.
Is 29078 safe?
Yes, 29078 is safer than 60% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $364 per resident a year.
Compare 29078 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 29078. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 29078 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
29078 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 29078: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 29078: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 29078: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 29078: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
29078 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.