Greenville

Greenville, SC offers a wonderful blend of natural beauty and cultural attractions. Known for its quaint Main Street, delicious food, arts, and festivals, its no wonder it made The New York Times "52 Places to Go in 2023". The area is rich with state parks, lakes, hiking trails, and three lakes, once home to the Cherokee Indians; Lake Keowee, Lake Jocassee, and Lake Hartwell, are excellent for boating. Top-rated colleges like Clemson University and Furman University also make Greenville an attractive destination for young adults. Overall, Greenville, SC is a vibrant and diverse community that offers a high quality of life for its residents.

Southern Living Magazine named Greenville one of the best art towns because of an abundance of art galleries, studios, lifelong learning opportunities, and the nationally recognized Artisphere featuring 900+ artists. Theatre performances and live entertainment along Main Street continue to enrich "America's Friendliest City". Overall, Greenville, SC is a vibrant and diverse community that offers a high quality of life for its residents.

Locals refer to the Upcountry as five distinct areas; downtown Greenville, the lakes, the mountains, the foothills, and the Eastside. Each area has it’s own unique qualities that enhance the lifestyle experience. 

• DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE: The pulse of downtown beats strongly with a long list of outstanding restaurants in Greenville, SC along with headliner entertainment. Foodies are hard-pressed to choose where to dine as they walk along the Reedy River through the revitalized downtown area.  Greenville, South Carolina is a great walking and biking city along The Swamp Rabbit Trail.  Locals who enjoy Southern cooking at home have a number of organic farmer's markets to to choose from including Greenville State Farmer's Market and Carolina First Saturday Market. Job opportunities in Greenville SC can be found at BMW, General Electric, Michelin Tire, and the Fluor Corporation which  continue to expand in the area. In 2010, more than 44 companies expanded or relocated to Greenville, SC. Most important to retirees is quality health care and retirement communities in Greenville SC. Quality health care is plentiful and available through AnMed Health, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System and the Greenville Hospital System.  If you are searching out where to retire in South Carolina, don't be afraid to ask us for a Greenville Relocation Package to learn more about the area.
• THE LAKES: Probably the most photographed landscapes in the Upcountry are the gorgeous South Carolina lakes. Lake Keowee is the most popular lake at 18,500 acres providing scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains off in the background. Waterfront homes and golf course communities decorate the shoreline of Lake Keowee and a great places to go hiking. Lake Jocassee is Lake Keowee's sister lake and is the smallest lake in the Upcountry at 7,565 acres. Lake Hartwell is the largest recreational lake at 64,560 acres. Clemson University is located in the lake area in the town of Clemson. Clemson is one of the top rated colleges in the nation with Osher Lifelong Learning opportunities on campus. South Carolina's Botanical Garden is also located at Clemson University.
• THE MOUNTAINS: The Blue Ridge Mountains are the scenic backdrop of Greenville and the backyard playground of locals. A ride along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway leads you to to many state parks including Table Rock State Park, Keowee-Toxaway State Natural Area and Caesars Head State Park. These protected hardwood forests provide miles of exciting hiking trails of all levels. Be sure to bring your camera as you discover vineyards, old grist mills, streams, and about 30 waterfalls. Weather in the mountains is cooler providing refreshing weekend reprieves from the warmer summers.
• THE FOOTHILLS: During the Colonial-era, the foothills were the site of Revolutionary War battles at Cowens National Battlefield and King's Mountain National Military Park.  The area is now home to BMW's Performance Center, apple orchards, and organic farms.  Explore historic plantations or sample wines at one of the Upcountry vineyards. Bob Jones University, a liberal arts college boasting outstanding programs in the fine arts, also calls the foothills home. 
• THE EASTSIDE: This area is quickly expanding with technology, corporate relocations, and more educational facilities such as Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research. The Carolina First Center is located in Eastside which is the largest exposition center in the country. Roper Mountain Science Center is a popular tourist attraction and observatory. Reaching beyond the new high-tech buildings, the landscape unfolds back into rural country and farm land.

ARTS AND CULTURE

Greenville, SC is the cultural center for the region. The Peace Center for the Performing Arts is known to be an architectural and acoustical jewel that attracts a variety of performers like Michael Bolton and Greenville music festivals. The Greenville County Art Museum famous for its installations by two of America’s greatest artists: Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns.  It has the most comprehensive collection of Andrew Wyeth’s work along with an impressive collection of art representing the Southern experience. Also here is the Greenville County Public Library, the Museum and Gallery at Heritage Green, the Upcountry History Museum, the Children’s Museum of the Upstate and a sampling of private galleries. Greenville is repeatedly named as one of the top places to live in South Carolina for variety of art and culture. 

CLIMATE

Greenville's elevation is at 966 feet. Greenville weather offers an ideal climate for those folks seeking four mild seasons. With a subtropical climate, Greenville typically experiences short, mild winters, hot, humid summers, brisk autumns, and warm springs. The average winter temperature is in the 50’s, and the average summer temperatures in the 80’s. Tornados are Greenville's biggest weather hazards.

LIFELONG LEARNING CENTERS

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is at both Furman and Clemson Universities. There are eleven different course offerings at Furman including, but not limited to Health and Fitness, Computers and Technology,  Practical Arts and Hobbies, History, Psychology, and more.  Individual classes within the courses might be High Country Hikers or Fun With Your Mac.  Clemson University has thirteen course offerings including Culture and Travel, Photography, Outdoor Adventures, and more.  In addition, they offer Free Friday events, Thursday morning movies, and Free technical insights once each month. Also check out the Greenville County virtual schools online.

MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE

Quality healthcare is available right in Greenville, SC. The Greenville Hospital System Provides care ranging from preventive medicine and routine procedures to continuing treatment and complicated surgeries. The Greenville Hospital System has five locations:  Greenville Memorial Hospital, Patewood Memorial Hospital, Greer Memorial Hospital, Hillcrest Memorial Hospital, and North Greenville Medical Campus.  

The Shriners Hospital for Children is in Greenville, SC as well.  Shriners is well-known for providing children with the excellent treatment of orthopedic and neuromusculoskeletal disorders and diseases. Top notch medical care in the region is very important to retirement communities in Greenville SC.

RECREATIONAL SPORTS

Greenville County Recreation District manages over 39 parks, 8 community centers, 6 historic sites, 3 water parks, an ice rink, an inline rink, a camp and retreat center, miles of bicycle trails on the 17.5 The Swamp Rabbit Trail. There are also 13 golf courses in Greenville and many more nearby. There are also more than a hundred venues for tennis in Greenville. Combined, it’s no surprise that places to go hiking, biking, play golf and tennis are all popular activities here.  

SHOPPING AND DINING

Because of its wide sidewalks, outdoor sidewalk dining, and outdoor plazas, 90 restaurants call downtown Greenville home. Most of the eateries are owned by local residents and the cuisines range from Italian and Greek to Thai and more. Dining extends from casual to five-star.  There’s something for everyone including outstanding Greenville music festivals and at the Greenville Farmers Market.

For people who like to shop there are a variety of specialty shops, boutiques and art galleries in one of the best art towns to choose from. Big box stores and retail chains can be also be found in Greenville, SC, mostly in the Eastside area.

HOME AFFORDABILITY AND TAXES

If you're searching for the top places to live in South Carolina, consider Greenville. The average price of Greenville homes vary because the city is so large. Generally speaking, home prices average in the $130's in Greenville. Greenville's estimated property tax millage rate is $.0658 per 25% of $100. If you live within the city limits of Greenville, there is an additional estimated city tax of $.44 per 25% of $100.

Visit our library to find help and to learn how to calculate property taxes in Greenville South Carolina. Whether you decide to live in downtown Greenville or out in the suburbs, there are a number of well designed master planned communities to choose from and Greenville County virtual schools to attend.