5 Reasons to Call Greenville, SC, Home

Greenville ranks among the most attractive cities in the U.S. for everyone from millennials to young professionals to retirees.

By Livability on October 13, 2022

Ian Curcio

In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is Greenville, SC, a welcoming city with 18 designated neighborhoods and a pleasing quality of life. The city ranks among the most attractive in the U.S. for everyone from millennials to young professionals to retirees, and a strong job market includes several diverse industry sectors. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about moving to Greenville.

1. Ideal for Remote Workers

Greenville is quickly becoming a “preference city” for people who can take their job with them anywhere. Working from home is especially attractive in Greenville, which features a quality of life that offers affordability and big-city amenities but without the hassles of big-city living. The median home value in Greenville was about $301,000 in July 2022, according to Zillow – well below the national average. One of the key assets for remote working in Greenville is the region’s excellent high-speed broadband infrastructure.

2. Accolades Aplenty

Greenville has earned multiple accolades in recent years, including being ranked among the Top 100 Best Places to Live as well as one of the 10 Best Downtowns in America by Livability. WalletHub has listed Greenville among the Best Cities to Start a Business, and The New York Times says Greenville is one of the 52 Places to Go in the World. Greenville is also lauded among the 7 Most Underrated Food Cities in America by Cheaptickets.com.

3. Easy to Get Around

Whenever you want to get around town, the average commute time is only 23 minutes. Greenville is situated along the rapidly growing Interstate 85 corridor. The city is only two hours from Atlanta, 90 minutes from Charlotte and 90 minutes from the South Carolina capital of Columbia. Greenville is also included in a proposed Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor that will eventually run from Washington, D.C., to Birmingham. Air travelers have the convenience of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and Greenville Downtown Airport.

Clemson University – University Relations

4. Good Times Galore

If you like the performing arts, Greenville is for you. Residents have multiple entertainment venues to see big-time concerts, plays and even sporting events. Bon Secours Wellness Arena has 16,000 seats, Peace Center for the Performing Arts has 2,100 seats for concerts and 500 for plays, and the 5,000-seat Timmons Arena graces the campus of Furman University. Entertainment venues include Alchemy Comedy Theater, Centre Stage, Greenville Little Theatre and Warehouse Theatre. Four standout museums are clustered downtown in the Heritage Green district. Signature festivals staged each year in the city include Artisphere, Big Fandom Greenville, Euphoria Greenville, Fall for Greenville, Greek Festival, iMAGINE Upstate, Indie Craft Parade, New South Comedy Festival, SC Comicon and Upstate Shakespeare Festival.

5. A Strong Economy, Getting Even Stronger

More than 40 Fortune 500 companies and 20 headquarters are in Greenville County. One of the strongest economic sectors is automotive, with 120 companies operating in the metro area and employing 30,000 people. Other key industries include advanced manufacturing, aviation/aerospace, biosciences, logistics, research and development, and technology. Local companies also have many higher education options for training their workforce.