Moving to Greenville means settling in an eclectic city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in South Carolina’s Upstate. The city has grown steadily for years, and more people keep arriving. Plenty of well-paid jobs have come along the way, and moving here makes increasing sense for many newcomers.
Greenville is regularly named among the best places to live in the USA, and residents benefit from top-ranked schools and a walkable downtown with plenty of green space.
Cost of living in Greenville, SC
The cost of living in Greenville is one of its biggest draws, and most residents live comfortably. It is below the national average, and the city’s housing is especially good value. Because the subtropical climate is mild, residents spend less on heating and cooling, so utility bills tend to be low. Property taxes are low too.
Healthcare in the USA is expensive, and Greenville is no exception, so it’s essential to get comprehensive health insurance. You’ll likely need to budget for a car, as public transport in Greenville is limited. One cost that surprises many newcomers is South Carolina’s annual vehicle property tax, which you pay on any car registered in the state.
Getting around in Greenville, SC
Getting around in Greenville usually means driving, as the city is quite car dependent. Families and anyone who wants to travel the wider region will benefit most from having one. Greenville is centrally located where I-85 and I-385 meet, so it is a handy base for reaching Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia, and Asheville.
Greenlink Transit manages what public transport there is in Greenville and provides several fixed bus routes across Greenville County. Greenlink buses are fully accessible, and they’re equipped with bike racks.
In addition to bus and paratransit services for people living with disabilities, Greenlink Transit provides a free downtown trolley service. It’s an easy way to reach Main Street’s shops and restaurants without moving your car.
Amtrak’s Crescent route also serves Greenville from a station close to downtown, and you can book tickets online or at the station.
Cycling is another popular way to get around, and you can rent a bike from Greenville’s bike-share service, Greenville BCycle. Downtown is compact and walkable, and many residents simply traverse it on foot.
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Healthcare in Greenville, SC
The standard of healthcare in Greenville is high, and there are three major hospital systems that serve the city. Patients have access to strong emergency and elective care.
Prisma Health operates several campuses and hospitals across the Upstate, along with a broad network of outpatient and wellness centres. Bon Secours St. Francis runs two hospitals in Greenville, St. Francis Downtown and St. Francis Eastside. Shriners Children’s Greenville focuses on children’s orthopaedic and neuromuscular conditions.
Useful links
- Shriners Children’s Greenville
- Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital
- Bon Secours: Hospitals and Medical Centres in Greenville
Schools in Greenville, SC
Families moving to Greenville have strong public schools to choose from. Greenville County Schools is the largest district in South Carolina and runs several well-regarded schools with a student-teacher ratio. The district serves more than 70,000 students and gives families a wide choice, including magnet schools and Advanced Placement courses.
Greenville also has plenty of private schools. Many are Christian, including several Catholic schools, and they teach the American curriculum. Others follow alternative approaches such as Montessori, which is common at the preschool level. Several Greenville County schools offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme.
The International School of Greenville is the city’s main option for a foreign curriculum. Students there follow both the French and American curricula, and a third language is introduced in the third grade. Greenville also has several colleges and universities, including Furman University, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, and North Greenville University.
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Weather in Greenville, SC
The weather in Greenville is informed by its subtropical climate, so summers are warm and humid, and winters mild. Residents get more than 200 days of sunshine a year.
Summers, from June to September, are hot and often wet, and highs are around 86°F (30°C). The coldest months are December through March, and the average winter low is about 40°F (4°C). Snow is rare, although it can fall in winter.
Working in Greenville, SC
Those who plan on working in Greenville have good prospects. The job market has grown strongly, and Greenville is often called the economic engine of South Carolina. Its biggest industries are manufacturing and healthcare, but the tech sector is growing too.
Michelin’s North American headquarters are based in downtown Greenville, and other big employers include GE, Lockheed Martin, and 3M. BMW’s large assembly plant is close by in Spartanburg County. In the city itself, Prisma Health is the biggest single employer, and Greenville County Schools employs thousands more.
New arrivals with a background in engineering or finance tend to find plenty of openings, and starting a business here is relatively straightforward. Manufacturers have turned the Upstate into one of the country’s densest automotive clusters. By some counts, it now has more car-industry suppliers than the Detroit area. Clemson’s automotive research campus, CU-ICAR, trains engineers for the sector.
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Accommodation in Greenville, SC
New arrivals looking for accommodation in Greenville can choose from a variety of neighbourhoods to suit most budgets and lifestyles. Traffic can be heavy at peak times, so weigh a home’s distance from work and school.
Greenville is regularly named a top place to live. Crime has dropped sharply over the past couple of decades, although it still varies a lot from one street to the next, so research a specific street, not just the neighbourhood, before you sign anything.
Families who want bigger homes and leafy streets often look at North Main. It is known for its historic houses and is an easy walk from downtown. Newcomers with larger budgets who want convenience and resort-style amenities often choose Claremont.
Young professionals who want to be near downtown but still reach green space often like Montebello. This community has Italian-themed villas and townhouses on the slopes of Piney Mountain and is close to Haywood Mall and Falls Park.
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Lifestyle in Greenville, SC
There’s a lively lifestyle in Greenville. The city has a strong outdoors culture of parks and trails, and the arts and music scene has something going on throughout the year. There are several colleges to keep the nightlife going, especially downtown.
Downtown Greenville is where most of the city’s dining and nightlife happen. Main Street is lined with shops and pavement cafés, and the downtown is often named one of the most attractive in the USA. The curved Liberty Bridge crosses the waterfall in Falls Park and is its signature view. The area is eminently walkable.
For the outdoors, the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail is a paved rail-trail more than 20 miles (32km) long, good for walking and cycling. Paris Mountain State Park, about 10 minutes from downtown, is another favourite for hiking and swimming. If you’d rather watch than play, you can catch a Greenville Drive baseball game at Fluor Field, or Swamp Rabbits ice hockey and touring concerts at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Greenville has several theatres and a symphony, and the Peace Center is the main venue for touring shows. Carolina Ballet Theatre dates to 1972 and stages classical and contemporary work throughout the year. Admission is free at the Greenville County Museum of Art, which presents the world’s largest public collection of Andrew Wyeth watercolours, along with an important group of works by Jasper Johns, who grew up in South Carolina.