South Carolina Upcountry

Welcome back to our second week ( with the exception of our U-turn last week) of traveling around what I like to refer to as the South Carolina Mountain Region.

You must know that most South Carolinian's call their mountain region the Upcountry or Upstate South Carolina.

As we talked about a couple of weeks ago,  this area of South Carolina has been particularly popular for people like us who are looking to find our best place to live in either North Carolina or South Carolina with a population of 30,000 people and under.

If you’re just joining us, let me make some observations about the South Carolina Mountain Region and why you might want to give it a good look.

• Great climate:
  • Moderate, four season climate where you can expect temperatures at least 10 to 20 degrees cooler than the South Carolina Piedmont or Coastal areas.
  • Definitely great year round weather and you don’t have to worry about hurricanes or tropical storms.
• Economic diversity and opportunity:
  • The Upcountry isn’t just about agriculture and textile factories anymore.
  • Think high end manufacturing like the BMW factory in Spartanburg, SC as well as many other future oriented industries.
• Schools:
  • There are a number of nationally know universities and colleges in this area.
  • Great for retirement or relocation, this enriches  the local communities and offers all types of lifelong learning opportunities.
• Getting around:
  • You’ll be surprised at how many of the towns and cities we’ll look at in this region aren’t far from major state or national highways.

Okay I need to save a few for next week but I think you’ve gotten a small taste of what we like about the Upcountry/Upstate (South Carolina Mountain) region.

Today we start out in the city of Anderson, SC, population 27,027.

About 45 minutes southwest of Greenville, SC Anderson, South Carolina is not far from the Georgia border.

Anderson, SC really embodies the best the mountain region has to offer from natural beauty and outdoor fun to a diversified economy.

The population of Anderson is more cosmopolitan than your typical small city in either South Carolina or North Carolina.

Downtown Anderson, SC is filled with historic monuments, tree-lined streets and green spaces as well as a wonderful mix of shops, restaurants and some of the friendliest people you’ll meet anywhere.

I also like that you have a good variety of creative and recreational outlets in Anderson, SC.

Be it catching the local symphony orchestra or theatrical production or blowing town for nearby Lake Hartwell.  And you can always make the short road trip up to places like Greenville, SC, no problem.

Best of all, even with all the trappings, buying a house in Anderson, SC is still wildly affordable with some estimates showing that you can expect to pay at least $30,000 less for housing in Anderson than in other nearby cities like Greenville, SC or Spartanburg, SC.

In fact, the median home value in Anderson, SC is only about $113,500 and the average monthly rental cost starts at $479… not bad!

Moving southeast of Greenville, SC we come to one of the fastest growing areas in South Carolina and a city recently named one of the “10 Best Towns for Families” by Family Circle magazine, Simpsonville, SC, population 17,144.

Simpsonville, SC is basically a suburb of Greenville and all that  great city has to offer is only 15 minutes away, but…

Despite the pace of local development Simpsonville has retained the distinct charms and slower pace of a smaller town.

Simpsonville, SC is a vibrant community with a high percentage of young people and young families.

Don’t be surprised when you find plenty of community parks, a new activities center and over 100 residential communities popping up in the surrounding area.

Frankly, this is the kind of place you wouldn’t expect the median housing cost to be only $104,700 but it is.  With the affordable housing cost, young families and close proximity to Greenville, it isn't any wonder why Simpsonville, SC is one of our best small cities in South Carolina.

Last but not least we leave the Greenville, SC area, hop on I-85 head about an hour northeast toward the North Carolina border to the city of Gaffney, SC, population 13,200.

If any of you have been through this area you probably remember Gaffney, SC as that place with the peach-shaped water tower but Gaffney really has a lot to offer both the young and older.

I love the small town feel of the city’s three historic districts.  And the civic pride that has made the redeveloped downtown a wonderful place to spend the day makes the Gaffney, SC area even more attractive.

History, culture, colleges, I could go on and on about Gaffney, SC.

Oh, by the way the median housing cost in Gaffney is about $114,000 and the average rental cost starts at about $400 a month.

That's if for this week.  Lots to look at and consider.

Come back next week when we check out more of the South Carolina Mountain Region’s best small towns and cities with populations under 30,000.

Remember if you want additional information on the best places we’ve looked at today and more of the best places to relocate or retire in South Carolina check out our SC Best Places section.

See You Next Week!

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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