If you’re looking at the Upstate of South Carolina, these places around Greenville are a great choice! You’ll find that the statistics for city sizes seem to show small populations, but that is because the city has much smaller footprint than the metro area. It is difficult for cities in South Carolina to annex property into their city, and this drives a smaller city outline and larger metro area. For example, Greenville has about 70,000 residents, but a metro area of just over ½ a million. This means that many areas you may choose to live will be called “Greenville” but will really be a smaller city or town in that’s being treated almost like a suburb. The places we’ll visit in this video are not in Greenville, but are a part of it’s economic and political footprint. All are inside Greenville County with the exception of some of Greer, which also over flows into Spartanburg County.

     If you’re thinking about moving, I’d love to help, reach me at any of the contacts below, but text or phone is best. Let’s start learning about what each of the areas around Greenville has to offer. I either have, or will soon have a video on each specifically, so we’ll just look at the highlights so you can get a glance at each and compare them. For more detail, please check out my other, more detailed content.

     Let’s start with the busiest place nearby, Simpsonville. Simpsonville is southeast of Greenville, going down I-385 past Mauldin and before Fountain Inn. There were 2,395 homes sold in the 29680 and 29681 zip codes, the two zips associated with the Simpsonville area. This was a growth over the year before as well. This year, average home has sold for just over 380,000. There are many neighborhoods offering everything from townhomes to large homes with sizeable lots. Simpsonville continues to have some older homes with larger parcels of land as well. There are 332 homes currently available for sale, ranging from 200,000 to 2.9 million. Simpsonville is a bustling place with lots of access to shopping and entertainment. Some highlights include Heritage Park with it’s CCNB Amphitheater, as outside concert venue, The Warehouse at Vaughns a community gathering place with a variety of restaurants sharing space, and Discovery Island Water Park, a part of Greenville Rec and a big draw for families with younger children.

     On the northern part of the 29681 half of Simpsonville, you’ll find Five Forks. While Five Forks is not incorporated, it is a rapidly growing area. It is an extension of the densely populated Woodruff Road corridor coming out of Greenville. The area was still very rural into the early 1990s before rapid growth made it a destination for shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Initially called Five Forks because of the intersection of Woodruff passing through, with Adams Mill, Five Forks, and Scuffletown – before a reworking of Woodruff Road changed this. You’ll find some older properties there, but mostly homes will be in newer subdivisions with HOAs and usually pools. Five Forks will continue to grow, expanding out towards the town of Woodruff, SC.

MAULDIN

     Our next city is Mauldin, located right between Greenville and Simpsonville and for a long time was the neglected town in the middle. People would skip right past it to live further down the interstate. Now, that has been starting to change. Residents and new movers are seeing the value in being a little closer to Greenville and filling what was once a gap space. Mauldin has 34 homes for sale, ranging from 240,000 to 650,000. There are older neighborhoods in Mauldin, which will offer larger lots and more mature trees. Mauldin is considerably smaller geographically than Simpsonville’s footprint, but has a vibrant growing small town vibe. There are often events at the Mauldin Cultural Center, such as Friday night concerts all summer. Coming soon to Mauldin will be Bridgeway Station, a 100 million dollar development spanning I-385 near the Bridges Road exit.

     Moving to the north, let’s talk about Greer next. The furthest of what I would consider the suburbs off of Highway 29, or Wade Hampton Road, Greer has a more country feel to it. There is a walkable downtown with some great shops, Greer City Park, The SC Inland Port, and BMW’s largest American manufacturing facility providing jobs for more than 12,000 people. Greer is a little more spread out and it’s boundaries are broken as the skip outward from downtown Greer. The city of Greer has 266 active listings, ranging from 110,000 to over 4 million. This big spread shows the range of what’s available in Greer. Greer is about 30-40 minutes from Greenville, so there is some commute if you’re looking to be in the downtown area often for work or play.

     Coming towards Greenville, down Wade Hampton, is Taylors. Living in Greenville, you’ll hear people refer to Taylors just like it is a city or town, but it is truly a census-designated place, a true suburb of Greenville. With over 23,000 residents and 78 active listings, Taylors is big enough to deserve it’s place on this list for sure. Available homes in Taylors range from 130,000 to 1.7 million currently. Just like Greer, there are parts of Taylors which are more country than city with some larger properties available. Pebble Creek Golf Coarse is in Taylors, The Model Train Station (linked below), and it borders on the Pavilion, a major complex for Greenville County Rec. The Train station is located at “The Taylors Mill”, a popular mixed-use revitalization of an old mill into a mix of commercial space offering food, drinks, space for local artists, and more.

     Heading almost due North of Greenville, just past Furman University, we’ll find Traveler’s Rest. Just a few years ago, Traveler’s Rest…or as I grew up calling it, TR, was a small farming town just past where highway 276 and highway 25 cross. With a population just over 5,000, it is still not a big city. It does, however, have a vibrant artist community and a small walkable downtown with many trendy shops and restaurants. If you’re visiting the area and want to be at the base of the mountains with easy access to hiking, rafting, and more, then Traveler’s Rest is the right spot! And, just 20 minutes from downtown, you’ll still be able to make a quick trip for a show or shopping in Greenville.

BEREA, SAN SOUCI, PARKER     

     To the west of Greenville lies several unincorporated areas, Berea, San Souci, and Parker, and a couple others. These areas are less developed than the others I’ve mentioned and don’t have quite the reputation either. However, if you’re looking to move to the Greenville area and find a home that’s less expensive, they may be a perfect fit for you. None of these areas have their own city designation in the Greater Greenville MLS, so I can’t give you exact information on their sales. However, drawing a rough shape around the area showed me 40 active listings ranging in price from 120,000 to 895,000. You will find older homes in established neighborhoods, but also new construction, normally with prices ranging 50-100,000 less than in other places around Greenville for the same home. Generally the new construction here will feature homes or townhomes a little smaller than what’s being built in Simpsonville for example.

     Below San Souci, Berea, and Parker lie our last little trio of unincorporated areas. Welcome, Judson, and Dunean make up the area directly Southwest of the City of Greenville. This area has a smaller population, usually smaller lots and homes as well. It is bordered on the city side by the two largest medical campuses of Greenville, St. Francis and Prisma’s main hospitals. A developing highlight is the Judson Mills district, originally a Mill built in 1912, but now leasing fully remodeled residential apartments and commercial space. A rough circle on this area is showing 14 active properties for sale, ranging from 85, 000 to 384,000. This leads us back around to the Mauldin/Simpsonville areas, completing our circle around the city of Greenville. There are a few other areas which may deserve your consideration, but we can look at them another time. They extend further away and would be outside of easy driving time…what I’d consider to be 20-30minutes for this area. Most people here don’t have long commutes as in some areas of the country.

     When you’re looking at what area around Greenville you want to live in, it’s important to weigh the factors of what you desire for your next home. Are you looking for a neighborhood with a pool and lots of amenities? Do you favor close entertainment, and shopping, or would rather not see your neighbors from the front porch? Geography can change in the area, with Traveler’s Rest seeing more of the foothills and going down to Simpsonville which is very flat in comparison. If you’re considering a move, I’d love to help you find what’s perfect for you! Check out my next video and I’ll see you next time!

https://www.modeltrainsstation.com/

https://judsonmilldistrict.com/