Living in Greenville, SC: 15 Things To Know Before You Go

Maybe you’re tired of big-city living and want to be somewhere where you can hear nature sounds and walk among the trees. Maybe you’re coming from a community with one traffic light and want to live somewhere with a downtown to speak of. Or maybe you’re done with northern temperatures and want to take a drive down south to watch the thermometer tick up. If any or all of this sounds familiar, you may want to consider living in Greenville, SC.

Ready to make your move to Greenville? Make your move a flexible one with a portable moving container from PODS.

No need to take us at our word, though — let’s go through 15 of the top pros of living in Greenville, so you can make the evaluation (and start packing your bags) for yourself. 

Living in Greenville, SC, At a Glance

Before our in-depth listing, here are some basic things to know about living in Greenville, SC, for the skimmers among us:

• Greenville is located between the cities of Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, situated in the northwestern “Upstate” region of South Carolina. This makes traveling easy!
• The cost of living in Greenville, SC, is below the national average.
• The job market is strong and expected to keep growing.
• The public schools are highly rated.
• Crime rates are higher here than average.
• Greenville is a growing foodie’s paradise with a thriving farm-to-table scene.
• Housing costs are significantly below the national average.

Is Greenville, SC, a good place to live? Only if enjoying a thriving food and arts scene and taking an open-air trolley around a charming downtown sounds like fun to you. 

What Are the Pros and Cons of Living in Greenville, SC?

If your decision to move involves making a list of all the pros and cons of living in Greenville, SC, allow us to help. Though personal circumstances (new job, exciting!) or preferences (smaller city, just what you’re looking for) come into play, here are some ups and downs of living in Greenville, SC. 

Pros of Living in Greenville, SC

• Relatively low cost of living
• Walkable downtown
• Range of great restaurants to sample
• Green space galore
• Mild winters
• Multiple arts festivals and museums

Cons of Living in Greenville, SC

• Relatively high crime rate
• Relatively low racial diversity
• Hot, humid summers

Q: Is Greenville, SC, a good place to live? A: Without a doubt! But why is Greenville County, SC, a good place to live? With its buzzy downtown district, walkability to plenty of restaurants, impressive arts scene, abundant nature, and subtropical climate, there are so many great reasons to call Greenville, SC, home.

Now, onto the list!

1. It’s One of the Best Cities in the U.S.

Let’s start with a humble brag: Greenville has been lauded as one of the best cities in the U.S. In 2023, Condé Nast Traveler readers gave it a place of honor (4th place, to be exact!) in their Readers’ Choice Awards, particularly hailing its good eats: “The food lover’s town has a farm-to-table scene that continues to rise in the ranks … and its craft beer scene is seeing a similar explosion.” And more recently, it ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 list of the best places to live in the U.S., where it scored 4th place out of 150 metro areas.

For a small city, Greenville has a lot going on — but the cost of living in Greenville, SC, is still blissfully below the national average.

2. It’s Small But Growing. 

With a population around 73,000, Greenville is certainly a smaller city. However, it’s growing. And if you’re looking to live in Greenville, SC, you’re in good company: Americans are trending toward moving to places in the Southeast, such as Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Greenville, in particular, is among the top 20 U.S. cities with the highest number of move-ins in 2023. 

Q: What should I know before moving to Greenville, SC? A: What to know about moving to Greenville, SC? We want to be completely transparent about some of the pros and cons of living in Greenville, SC. Like any place, Greenville, SC, has its downsides to consider before moving there.  For one, the crime rate in Greenville is higher than average — its crime index is 4, meaning it’s considered safer than just 4 percent of other U.S. cities. It’s also worth noting it’s not an incredibly diverse city. Nearly 68 percent of residents are white, which makes it the predominant race..

3. The Cost of Living in Greenville, SC, Is Below the National Average.

When considering moving to a new place, affordability is a huge factor. Can you live the lifestyle you want with the salary you make? Can you comfortably rent or buy a home? Are there unexpected costs? Luckily, the cost of living in Greenville, SC, is lower than the national average, so if you’re moving from a bigger city, there’s a good chance your dollar will go further. With a Greenville, SC, cost of living index of 91.3 (the average U.S. cost of living is 100), it is also slightly more expensive than the South Carolina index of 89.3. So if you’re doing an intrastate move, you likely won’t notice much of a difference — but if you’re moving from a more expensive city, it’ll likely be a nice cost-saving surprise.

Q: How expensive is it to live in Greenville, SC? A: The good news is, the cost of living in Greenville, SC, is lower than the national average. To get an idea of some of the general costs and salaries, the median household income is just over $65,500, the average rent for a 960-square-foot apartment is around $1,425, and the average home value is around $312,300.

4. The Local Economy Is Strong and Growing. 

Predicting the economy at any scale is a risky game, but Greenville’s mid-size economy has been robust. The likes of Michelin, General Electric, and Lockheed Martin have settled into offices there, and employment rates have benefited from their presence. The unemployment rate, as of July 2024, was 4.7 percent, which is just a touch above the national average of 4.3 percent. And the Greenville job market is expected to keep growing — by nearly 40 percent in the next decade. 

5. Highly Rated Public Schools Are a Pro of Living in Greenville, SC.

If you’re moving to Greenville, SC, with children — and chances are good you may be, as Greenville is among the best places to raise a family in the state — you’ll be glad to know that the public school system earns top marks. Niche grants Greenville public schools an above-average A- grade, with Greenville Technical Charter High School and SC Governor's School for Arts & Humanities earning an A+ grade. 

6. Safety Can Be a Concern When Considering the Pros and Cons of Greenville, SC.

Those moving here with school-age children are likely extra concerned about safety and wondering, “Is Greenville, SC, safe?” The truth is, it’s valuable to be cautious while moving to any new city. Niche gives Greenville a C grade when it comes to crime and safety, and NeighborhoodScout notes Greenville’s relatively high crime index of 4 (meaning it’s only 4 percent safer than other cities). That said, U.S. News & World Report gives some additional context to the numbers, stating that “Greenville has a lower crime rate than similarly sized metro areas.” 

Locals love to walk (and trolley) around the city’s gem of a downtown, hopping between breweries, restaurants, and boutiques. 

7. It’s Home to a Fun, Walkable Downtown. 

If you ask a local what they love about living in Greenville, SC, the first thing they may say is the downtown area. From the trolley, you can ride down Main Street to breweries and cocktail bars, then to local boutiques and museums, and then to restaurants galore. There’s no shortage of places to check out in the downtown area, which encompasses 10 full blocks. And among all that man-made fun, you’ll also find a rare gem: Falls Park on the Reedy River, a 32-acre park that features gorgeous trees, a scenic pedestrian bridge, and a majestic waterfall, among other delights. 

8. Public Transit Options Are Limited in Greenville.

While the Greenville, SC, population is growing, it is still considered a smaller city. As such, you won’t find a sprawling public transit system to get around town — at least not yet. There’s no subway option, but there is a public bus system as well as a charming (and free!) open-air trolley that you can take all around downtown. When it comes to getting around, though, the best part of living in Greenville, SC, is how walkable it is. With a walk score of 81, chances are you won’t miss an abundance of public transit options most days. 

9. You’ll Eat Well When Living in Greenville, SC.

Hope you’re hungry, because there are too many scrumptious spots to try out in Greenville not to have an appetite. Though perhaps an unsuspecting contender for a foodie city, Greenville has racked up plenty of accolades over the past decade, from being hailed as an under-the-radar food destination by Zagat to the potential next big Southern food city by Esquire to one of the hottest foodie cities in America by People.

The downtown alone serves up more than 200 (!) restaurants, while the larger county boasts a whopping 1,000 eateries. Don’t miss The Trappe Door, a Belgian bar where you can order mussels and frites and choose among some 100 beers, or Smoky Dreams Barbecue, where you can take a seat at a picnic table and chow down on brisket and potato salad (but save some room for the lemon pie!).

10. Green Space Abounds in Greenville, SC. 

What would a city called Greenville be without some green space? Luckily, we don’t have to find out. The city’s parks, recreation, and tourism department oversees 37 parks, taking up more than 400 acres of land. Be sure to take a stroll around Cleveland Park, the city’s largest, home to the 14-acre Greenville Zoo and Falls Park on the Reedy, which is right downtown and comprises lots of paved walkways and beautiful river views. 

There are also plenty of playgrounds in the city for the kiddos, as well as hiking destinations such as Paris Mountain State Park — just 6 miles away from downtown. It features 15 miles of hiking and biking trails and two lakes to boot.  

11. Greenville Enjoys a Subtropical Climate. 

That means Greenville residents experience all four seasons, but they’re bookended by hot, humid summers and fairly mild winters. The hot season (between May and September) has an average daily high temperature above 82°F, while the cool season (between November and February) has an average daily high temperature below 59°F. If you’ve been working toward a capsule wardrobe but are having a hard time winnowing down your clothing when you have to dress for wildly different weather across the seasons, Greenville offers a pretty steady climate, while still offering distinct seasons. Just be ready for the humidity. 

12. Living in Greenville, SC, Is a Touchdown for Football Fans.

When laying out the pros and cons of living in Greenville, SC, there’s one fact that can belong on either list depending on how big of a sports fan you are: College football is big here. “It can be argued that a good chunk of many residents' time can be spent on one thing in Greenville: college football,” says U.S. News & World Report in its explanation of what there is to do in Greenville and why it ranks as the fourth best place to live in the country this year. “The athletic spirit of the region is without a doubt rooted in the Clemson University and University of South Carolina football rivalry,” it reports. 

13. The Arts Are Thriving in Greenville.

Calling all creatives: Each year, artists and art admirers flock to Greenville for Artisphere, a three-day fine arts festival that brings some 92,500 people together to appreciate art of all kinds. Even outside this busy weekend in May, though, residents can visit the Greenville County Museum of Art and the Artist Guild Gallery of Greenville, or simply walk around and enjoy the city’s public art, from vibrant murals to tiny bronze mice statues hidden along Main Street.    

Living in Greenville, SC, means never running out of things to do on the weekends, whether that’s visiting the Greenville Zoo, exploring Falls Park on the Reedy, taste-testing the city’s craft beers, or booking tickets at Centre Stage theater. 

Q: Why are people moving to Greenville, SC? A: The Greenville, SC, population is growing, and it’s not hard to see why. Not only is it home to a healthy job market, but it has a lower cost of living than the national average; a wonderfully mild climate; a fun, walkable downtown; and a small city feeling that is welcoming to newcomers.

14. There Are So Many Fun Things to Do in Greenville, SC. 

• If you’re looking for things to do with kids in Greenville, SC, visit the Children’s Museum of the Upstate and attend a free story time or simply explore the dozens of different exhibits.
• Attend Artisphere, the weekend-long arts bonanza in May, and buy a piece of original art.
• Board the adorable red and blue trolleys and take them through downtown.
• Go to Falls Park on the Reedy and amble over Liberty Bridge, the 345-foot concrete pedestrian overpass that provides a stunning photo opp for the park’s waterfall.
• Dine at as many of the 200 downtown restaurants as you can, and keep track of your own top 10 favorites, including best dishes at each.
• Visit the Greenville Zoo any time of year and hang out with the animals.
• Buy tickets for a show at Centre Stage, a 285-seat professional theater, and revel in a night of live theater.
• Learn all about the history of your new stomping grounds at Upcountry History Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate museum that recounts 300 years of South Carolina history.
• Go see a ball game at The Greenville Drive.
• Ooh and aah at paintings in the Greenville County Museum of Art — it houses the largest collection of Andrew Wyeth watercolors, after all.
• Take an official tour of Greenville’s hoppy craft beer scene, or taste test around town yourself.

15. There Are Tons of Great Day Trips You Can Take.

If you’re moving to Greenville, SC, get ready to spend some time in the car. Not in traffic, though — in scenic road trips to nearby destinations. Myrtle Beach is only a 4-hour drive away, and between Greenville and the beach you can hit up all kinds of attractions, from state parks and historic sites to cute towns and drive-in theaters. If you’re looking for a shorter drive altogether, though, check out some of these trips that require a little less car time. Did you realize Athens, George, is less than two hours away?

Ready To Make the Move?

If you’re reading all of these fun facts about Greenville with stars in your eyes, it may be time to pack your bags and head on over. Make your move to Greenville, SC, a flexible one with PODS portable moving containers. You can mix and match container sizes to fit your needs, and PODS will deliver your containers right to your driveway, where you can pack and load at your own pace. When you’re ready, PODS will pick them up and take them to your new place in beautiful Greenville. 

Need a little more time before you’ll be ready to unload your things? No problem. Storage is built into every PODS move, so you can keep your things at a secure PODS Storage Center until you need them. Now that’s flexible!

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Sofia Rivera is a Boston-based lifestyle editor and frequent contributor to the PODS Blog. Her work has appeared in Boston magazine, Apartment Therapy, and more. You can most often find her redecorating her apartment, trying out a new recipe, or trekking all over the city.