Best Places29681, SC Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 29681, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
29681 ranks 1,041st of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on what local pay buys by a wide margin, and the weather ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 29681
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.
29681's strengths and weaknesses
Where 29681 ranks high
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than 96% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 93% of zip codes
- Healthcare accessBetter than 93% of zip codes
- Household income$120,728 median, better than 90% of zip codes
- Educational attainmentBetter than 89% of zip codes
Where 29681 ranks low
- Nice weatherabout 75 pleasant days a year, better than only 36% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 39% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$923 a month, better than only 42% of zip codes
- Big-city accessBetter than only 45% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 47% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 29681
A household needs to earn about $97,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 29681 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $120,728, 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 29681's effective rate of 0.51%, 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 29681
29681's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 29681.
Who works in 29681, and how
Work in 29681 centers on manufacturing and health care & social. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 79%
- Work from home 20%
- Transit, walk, or bike 1%
Life in 29681
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 29681.
What the weather is like in 29681, month by month
29681 sees roughly 75 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 90 degrees. January highs sit near 53, 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 | 53° | 44° | 35° |
| April | 73° | 63° | 52° |
| July | 90° | 80° | 71° |
| October | 74° | 64° | 54° |
Flying in and out of 29681
The nearest airport, Greenville Spartanburg International, is about 8 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Charlotte/Douglas International, about 78 miles away.
The best schools in and around 29681
Schools across 29681 average an A−, better than 86% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Monarch ElementaryA+ · 80% proficient
- Oakview ElementaryA+ · 75% proficient
- Bell's Crossing ElementaryA · 70% proficient
Top middle schools
- Mauldin MiddleA− · 56% proficient
- Hillcrest MiddleB+ · 49% proficient
- Woodruff MiddleB · 43% proficient
Top high schools
- Woodruff HighA · 70% proficient
- Mauldin HighA · 67% proficient
- Hillcrest HighB+ · 52% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 29681 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
29681 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 29681 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 29681 suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 96% of zip codes, internet is fast and widely advertised, and 20% already work from home.
Common questions about living in 29681
Is 29681 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 29681 ranks 1,041st of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on what local pay buys, few empty homes, and health care access, and lowest on the weather and noise. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 29681 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $387,445. The overall cost of living runs about 16% below the national average. Set against a $120,728 median income, cost of living beats 96% of zip codes.
Is 29681 safe?
Yes, 29681 is safer than 83% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $272 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 29681?
July highs average about 90 degrees, and January highs near 53 with lows near 35. That works out to about 75 pleasant days a year, more than 36% of zip codes.
Is 29681 good for families?
Schools beat 86% of zip codes, crime safety beats 83%, and childcare runs $923 a month.
Compare 29681 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 29681. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 29681 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.
29681 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 29681: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 29681: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 29681: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 29681: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
29681 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.