Greenville, South Carolina

There aren’t many of our best places in North Carolina or South Carolina that get as much notice as Greenville, SC and for good reason.

Situated in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in northwestern or “Upstate” South Carolina, Greenville is a city of almost 62,000 people

Sitting firmly within the so-called “Boom Belt” from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta, Ga, Greenville, South Carolina is pretty cosmopolitan compared to a lot of our other best places.

Beyond the incredible natural beauty of its southern Appalachian environs much of Greenville’s appeal to those looking to relocate or retire to western South Carolina can be found in its pleasant climate, diverse and vibrant economy, and strong civic and cultural institutions.

Now… we’ve had some questions about Greenville, SC and what you can expect if you decide it is your best place to relocate or retire so,  I thought this week we’d approach the question from a different angle.

Instead of giving you a simple list of likes and dislikes as we’ve done in the past, let's look at Greenville, SC in terms of the people thinking about moving there.

For instance what can retirees expect?

How about young adults looking for jobs or going to college?

What are the concerns of young families with children in school who are thinking about moving to Greenville?

I hope this will be of help to you and I know its already got me thinking about Greenville, South Carolina in a whole different manner so let’s get started.

Young families with children in school – Is Greenville SC your best place to live?:

If you have a young family and are worried about things like finding work, affordable housing, fun things to do and great schools then Greenville, SC might be what you’re looking for.

First off the cost of living in the Greenville area is lower and the median sales price for a 3 bedroom home recently dipped below $120,000.

Greenville’s economy is vibrant as seen in its strong corporate business and high-tech manufacturing sectors and while 100 or so Fortune 500 companies do business there most Greenville companies are small and entrepreneurial in nature with a great number of start-up companies.

The Greenville public school district is one of the largest in South Carolina and Greenville itself offers a number of educational opportunities especially charter, private and specialty schools.

Greenville students outperform state and national peers on the ACT and 90% of those go through the system and graduate end up going to college.  Newsweek recently singled out 6 area high schools as some of the best in the United States.

Retirees – Is Greenville SC Your Best Place To Live?:

For several years now Greenville, SC has ranked highly in a number of surveys as one of the best places in the country to retire and just recently made Fortune magazine’s list of the top five great places to retire.

Interested retirees will find this is due to a relatively low cost of living, low taxes, lots of affordable housing of all different shapes and sizes, and a lot of opportunities to enjoy your golden years exploring the outdoors, attending various cultural events or pursuing a variety of lifelong learning opportunities.

Downtown Greenville is quite charming and very pedestrian friendly and you’ll be amazed at how many people who made the move just like yourselves you’ll find out and about.

Young people seeking work or going to college – Is this Your best place?:

Statistically they say the median age in Greenville, SC is around 35 but from what we’ve been able to ascertain there is a large and growing contingent of twenty-something that study, work and play in the Greenville area.

Young people from all over the state and country come to the area to attend well-know liberal arts universities like Furman or Bob Jones University and Clemson University is not too far down the road.

Young career minded professionals are also drawn to the variety of large and small companies in Greenville, places they can get their start and or make a name for themselves.

?What group are you part of?  What are your reasons for considering Greenville, SC as your best place to live in South Carolina?

I hope our overview of Greenville, South Carolina was some help to you and you know a bit more about living in South Carolina.

I'll see you next week for another of our best places to relocate or retire to in the Carolinas.

About Bob Bencivenga

Bob Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location analyst for major corporations and has been researching the growth of NC and SC to find the Best Places to Retire or Relocate that are still affordable.

Visit his blog The Carolina Report and sign up for FREE updates by email,his FREE Affordable Best Places To Live Report and, get FREE Expert Advice on how to find Your Best Place to Retire or Relocate to in North Carolina and South Carolina, additional resources, and a lot more. Bob does not sell real estate.

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