ZIP Code 29579 — Carolina Forest CDP, SC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 29579 covers Carolina Forest, SC in Horry County with a population of about 53,699.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.9 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 843, 854; U.S. House district SC-7; the MYRTLE BEACH - FLORENCE media market.

Carolina Forest, SC matches a tourism / travel destination profile (tourism/destination place names). Search demand here often clusters around weather, landmarks, short stays, and local services — the live 7-day forecast on this page is especially useful for trip planning.

Median household income in ZIP 29579 is about $72,909 — about 3% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 11.1%; unemployment rate near 6.0%; 34.3% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (roughly in line with the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Food services, and Healthcare; about 8.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 7.0 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $320,400 — about 8% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,313 (about 13% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 72.3% (about 6.9 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 29579 in Carolina Forest, SC, a household would need roughly $88,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,058. That is about 21% above the local median household income ($72,909), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Carolina Forest CDP, SC as Relatively High (composite score 98.2), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (99.6) and flood (92.0). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Carolina Forest CDP, SC show little to no average snow and around 53.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 2,147 for ZIP 29579 (Carolina Forest CDP, SC) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.