Why Residents Love Living in Spartanburg, SC
It’s easy to see why families and young professionals love living in Spartanburg, SC. The city and surrounding county are welcoming and collaborative, offering many opportunities to get involved. Plus, it is a safe place to raise a family, provides an affordable cost of living, ample career opportunities and great dining and outdoor recreation options. It’s also easy to navigate and get in and out of the region.
“For me, Spartanburg offers more of a community-based environment where you really get to know people,” says Alexis Hunter, a young professional who moved to the area from Charleston in 2018. “I love the events that Spartanburg hosts, like Music on Main and others that are geared toward community. I think that’s something really special that you don’t get in bigger cities – getting to know people on a deeper personal level. For me, Spartanburg offered that sense of a close-knit community.”
In This Article
The Region Encourages Involvement and Inclusion
Those living in Spartanburg, SC, will quickly tell you that the region is known for being a collaborative, grassroots place where everyone’s voice is welcome and all residents can make an impact on the community.
“In my work at the United Way, we touch all the different nonprofits and organizations in our community,” says Taylor Miller, a young professional who is a lifelong resident of Spartanburg and the leadership gift officer for the United Way of Piedmont. “We are in constant communication with organizations that touch different things. It’s incredible that even if someone has lived here their whole life, just getting into the nonprofit space in Spartanburg tells and shows me how everyone works together to make our community better.”
Young professionals and community leaders work side by side to shape Spartanburg’s future. Groups, like Leadership Spartanburg, a nine-month course through OneSpartanburg Inc. that is designed to better prepare leaders and volunteers for community service, and Spartanburg Young Professionals, an organization that focuses on leadership and social and civic engagement, help people get involved in the region.
“As far as representation, Spartanburg is really good about that,” Hunter says. “We have Upstate SC Pride, Juneteenth and the Greek Festival, so they’re all about celebrating different cultures, and that’s another aspect I love about Spartanburg.
Spartanburg, SC, Boasts a Great Cost of Living
Spartanburg, SC, area residents enjoy an affordable cost of living, which allows them to do more of the things they love.
“Affordability-wise, Spartanburg has been great,” says Rhodes Farrell, a young professional who moved to the area from Atlanta in 2018. “My wife and I are both average income earners, and we are still able to save money and go out to all the festivities that Spartanburg offers. We bought a house just before COVID hit, so we were able to get it for an affordable price and fix it up a bit.”
The median home value in Spartanburg, SC, was $226,000 in November 2024, according to Zillow. That is 77% of the South Carolina median home value.
Area Residents Find Safety and Assistance
Spartanburg is a safe place to live and raise a family.
“Safety is a very important thing, especially to our first responders and police officers,” Miller says. “I’ve never felt uncomfortable. I can go on a walk in the neighborhood or walk on our rail trail and feel absolutely safe. I know that if something happens, like an accident, it won’t just be one person, but a multitude that will come out to help. When Hurricane Helene hit town, I saw so many people come out and help people they didn’t even know. It’s pretty amazing that our community is like that.”
The Region Makes Traveling Easy
One of the cool things about living in the Spartanburg, SC, area is that you can get to places on foot. Downtown boasts a walk score of 76 and a bike score of 78 (according to Walk Score), meaning most errands can be accomplished by walking.
“Downtown has lots of pockets of walkability, and the city is connecting all of these trails, and it connects the schools to each other,” Farrell says. “From one side of town to the other, it’s only a 20-minute drive. It’s close to Interstate 85, and it’s close to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.”
Access to I-85 and I-26 allows residents to easily travel in and out of the region, though this has long been a positive aspect of Spartanburg. It carries the nickname “Hub City,” which can be traced back to the late 1800s when the region was home to multiple rail lines.
The Area Offers Plenty of Career Options
Career opportunities abound in Spartanburg County. The area is home to thriving industries, such as automotive, advanced materials, distribution, energy, life science and aerospace. Plus, a few key employers in the area include vehicle manufacturer BMW, national real estate developer Johnson Development Associates and headquarters for manufacturer Milliken and diner chain Denny’s.
“Even though I work in the nonprofit space, one of the things we do is workplace campaigns, so we are in and out of these companies daily,” Miller says. “It seems like people are always hiring around here, especially at bigger companies.”
Discover a Wealth of Outdoor Recreation in the Region
Living in the Spartanburg, SC, area means residents have access to hiking and biking trails as well as water activities at places like Duncan Park Lake, Lake Cooley and Lake Blalock.
“We have the rail trail, a walking trail that leads to downtown,” Miller says. “We have Croft State Park, which is about 15 minutes from downtown, and you can go biking, hiking, horseback riding or fishing there.”
Spartanburg, SC, Has a Diverse Dining Scene
From downtown to Morgan Square, Spartanburg and its surrounding county offer plenty of diverse dining options. And there’s even a burger trail called the Spartanburger Trail that you need to follow.
“I’m a foodie girl,” Hunter says. “Spartanburg is great at providing a plethora of options for dining out. I like The Kennedy, (a modern bistro) downtown, and Delaney’s, an Irish pub. The food truck community is really important here, too. We have a lot of family-owned restaurants, and it’s really nice to have a sense of community in that aspect.”
This article is sponsored by OneSpartanburg Inc.
