Central is a town in Pickens County, South Carolina, home to about 5,320 people across 2.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 29630.
Homes sold for a median of $173 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Central; also Clemson and Cateechee
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Central. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Central’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)100 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP)34 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA115 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA556 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Central; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Central had 5,247 residents in the 2020 census, up 49% since 2000.
It’s the 100th largest of 474 towns in South Carolina by population.
Pickens County grew from 19,375 residents in 1900 to 131,404 in 2020.
Pickens County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 91°F in summer, and winter lows average 33°F. About 52.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 2 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Clemson Univ, SC weather station (6 miles away).
28,852 jobs at 2,254 businesses in Pickens County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
14 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Central.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 3 |
| Mental health providers | 6 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (2 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1875.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Pickens 01. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Academy of the ArtsCentral | Pre-K–5 | 499 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| R. C. Edwards MiddleCentral | 6–8 | 835 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| D. W. Daniel HighCentral | 9–12 | 1,222 | Public | 2.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Clemson, Cateechee and Norris.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.