Just south of the North Carolina border lies Fort Mill, a busy South Carolina city with highly rated schools, quick access to Charlotte and community events. Catawba Indians called the area home long before Scotch-Irish settlers moved in, and the name Fort Mill combines the fact the town held a British fort that protected Catawba Indians and an old grist mill. The city’s name not only refers to its history, but the downtown area features historic buildings dating to the late 1800s, showing just how far the city has grown from its incorporation in 1873. Some churches, though updated, still stand from a similar era, including the Flint Hill Baptist Church. Fort Mill’s age is only a number, as the area is booming with growth. “You really can’t go wrong in Fort Mill with the good taxes, good schools and nice neighborhoods,” says Mark McClaskey, a Realtor and Broker with EXP Realty who has over 15 years of experience. “The area has been growing for the past 10 years. It’s pricey, but that evens out when you consider all the benefits like the taxes and schools.”
Anyone who wants to keep their job in Charlotte and find a place with lower property taxes heads south to Fort Mill. With the dense forest of the Anne Springs Close Greenway in the northern part of the city and several local parks spread throughout, residents have plenty of options for outdoor recreation. Residents catch up during annual festivals and holiday celebrations downtown. The city is working to keep up with its rapid growth while maintaining a small-town, easy-going vibe by approving new housing and development plans.
The historic John M. White House is a Second Empire style home built in 1872.
The Fort Mill Town Center is a great place to meet friends for lunch or dinner.
Uptown Charlotte is a 30 minute commute from the Springfield neighborhood.
The City of Fort Mill, SC was incorporated in 1873.
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Established neighborhoods and new ones on the way
Over 35,000 people live in Fort Mill, and many settle in neighborhoods like Kanawha Hills in the center of the city and Massey and Waterside at the Catawba in the south. Riverton and The Elizabeth – Orchards feature new single-family homes still under construction. “Home prices are high right now because of the scarcity of available homes and all the new construction,” McClaskey says. “People are waiting to sell because of the high interest rates.” The home median price is $490,000, lower than the national average of $416,700 reported by the National Agency of Realtors.
Townhouses fill areas like the Cascade subdivision on the east side of town and often sell between $250,000 and $375,000, while ranch-style homes and bungalows in Kanawha Hills go for $375,000 to $405,000. Craftsman homes in Whitegrove are most common, with around 2,000 square feet, ranging from $400,000 to $700,000. New traditional homes, like those in Mason's Bend and Waterside at the Catawba, feature 3,500 or more square feet and sell for $850,000 to over $1 million. Carolina Orchard is a retirement community, and Fort Mill homes don’t stay on the market long, often selling after 33 days compared to the national average of 44. The city sees all four seasons, though summers can have temperatures in the 90s with high humidity, and snow rarely falls.
In 2023, the city approved a Crossroads Development Partners project to build nearly 400 townhouses, single-family homes and a retirement community in the Dobys Bridge Road and Fort Mill Parkway area. Residents have consistently voiced concerns over potential increased traffic and more limitations on affordable housing. There are also plans for a commercial center off the Fort Mill Parkway called CrossRidge that will be anchored by Target and include office and retail spaces.
Many of the new homes in Fort Mill are being built in planned communities.
Larger modern homes are also popular in Fort Mill.
Many of the older homes in Fort Mill have been renovated and updated.
Many of the newer communities in Indian Land feature new traditional style homes.
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From textile industry to distribution and finance center
Fort Mill was known for its textile mills from the late 1800s until the early 2000s, when Spring Industries moved its headquarters out of the city. Clear Springs Development repurposed the old textile mill and turned it into Kingsley Town Center, a mixed-use campus that now holds LPL Financial, one of the major employers in town. Schaeffler is the largest manufacturing company in Fort Mill, and Ross Stores, Inc. has a distribution center here. Locally owned businesses primarily fill the downtown area, and medical workers have a short commute along North White Street to Piedmont Medical Center. Some people move to Fort Mill for the amenities but keep their jobs in Charlotte because the city has direct interstate access to the North Carolina financial hub.
For a night out on the town, head to the vibrant Kingsley in Fort Mill.
LPL Financial is one of Fort Mill's major employers.
The Piedmont Medical Center is a new addition to Fort Mill.
The historic Fort Mill Town Center is full of boutique stores and restaurants.
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Growing Fort Mill adds new schools
The Fort Mill School District gets an A-plus and is rated the best school district in South Carolina by Niche. “Schools are the main reason people move to Fort Mill,” McClaskey says. “People want the lower taxes, and there are a few big companies in town, but it's all about the schools.” Gold Hill Elementary had to freeze enrollment in 2023 due to the high demand. Pleasant Knoll Middle and Fort Mill High School are also popular. New schools will join the district because the city continues to grow. Flint Hill Elementary is scheduled to open in 2025 and Flint Hill Middle School is set to open in 2026. These new schools will also require new bus lines, and the School Board is considering a new attendance zone plan that will affect current students. The district also plans to switch to a modified year-round calendar for the 2025-2026 school year, giving students a week off so staff can have time to work without scheduled classes. Students interested in the medical field may attend The Laurel Institute of Technology, which offers a 16-month cardiovascular technology program.
The Fort Mill Middle School has a student teacher ratio of 13 to 1.
The Fort Mill High School in ranked 7th in high schools in South Carolina.
Doby's Bridge Elementary in Fort Mill is ranked #4 in elementary schools in SC.
The Banks Trail Middle School in Fort Mill serves students in grades 6-8.
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Taking the interstate to Charlotte or Rock Hill
Commuting 18 miles into Charlotte on Interstate 77 takes about half an hour, while an 8-mile trip to Rock Hill is closer to 20 minutes. Piedmont Medical Center is about a mile north of the city center, with emergency services and routine medical care options. Owning a car is essential, as the area has no public transportation aside from scheduled rides through York County Access buses, residents drive to get around town. The state’s transportation department began the lengthy Interchange Reconfiguration Project at state Route 160 and I-77 in February 2024; the hope is to reduce congested traffic by adding two new bridges and widening state Route 160 by 2027. City officials formed the Fort Mill Trail Master Plan in 2022, which will bring paved trail networks connecting to parks, schools and neighborhoods in the city. The closest airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which is under renovation to add new terminals and concourse space.
Anna Springs Close Greenway and a new park for sports
There are eight parks throughout Fort Mill, though spots like Walter Y. Elisha Park and Harris Street Park are more popular among residents. Local youth baseball and softball teams also hold practices and games at these parks, to the point the city built Banks Athletic Park in 2022, a 140-acre space dedicated to sports with baseball fields, a basketball court and a concession stand. Veterans Park holds the Fort Mill Farmers & Artisans Market every Saturday from May to October. Vendors set up booths to display homemade baked goods, art pieces, accessories and fresh produce. Anglers and kayakers head down to the Catawba River, accessed by the Wylie Dam, for a day on the water.
Anna Springs Close Greenway is a 2,100-acre nature preserve, twice the size of Central Park. The preserve opened in 1995 to give locals a public space to reconnect with nature through a children’s farm, camping sites, river sports and 40 miles of trails. The area even features a Greenway Preschool with a nature-based curriculum and after-school programs where kids can learn team-building skills, archery and kayaking.
The playground at Walter Elisha Park in Fort Mill is one of the most popular playgrounds.
Just a five minute drive from Baxter Village, you can access the Catawba River.
You can spend the day catch and release fishing at the Anne Springs Close Greenway.
You can find locally made crafts at the Fort Mill Farmers Market.
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Historic downtown center with spicy treats and popular dining
1800s brick buildings, some painted in pastel colors, line Main Street in the downtown center, where locally owned restaurants neighbor boutiques and shops. “Downtown is cute and charming,” McClaskey says. “I sometimes go down there for food, and there’s a little park and nice walking trails.” Hobo’s made its mark in Fort Mill’s downtown scene when it opened in 2015. The menu features burgers, milkshakes and beer for an all-American experience, whether guests are at the bar or out on the patio. The Carolina Reaper, the hottest pepper in the world, was bred and grown by Fort Mill’s own “Smokin” Ed Currie. Ed also owns PuckerButt Pepper Company, located on Main Street, and sells hot sauces, spicy candy and pepper seeds for anyone who wants to grow their own painfully hot peppers. Kingsley Town Center off Kinglsey Springs Boulevard is a more modern shopping center with apartments, commercial spaces and restaurants. The Peach Stand opened in 1980 and has sold farm-fresh produce ever since. Most items sold are grown or produced by businesses within a 100-mile radius of the store. The store is located right across from the Piedmont Medical Center and features an ice cream parlor, bakery and butcher shop. Shoppers can visit throughout the year, every day of the week.
Downtown also hosts several city events, including the South Carolina Strawberry Festival, notably the largest and sweetest. The three-week festival showcases strawberry jam vendors, a golf tournament at Springfield Golf Club a few miles south, and even a Little Miss Strawberry Pageant. During the holidays, residents gather along Main Street for the over 70-year-old town Christmas Parade, when decorative floats glide down the street, followed by high school dance teams and a carriage with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The parade ends on White Street just a few blocks down, where the city also hosts a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at Fort Mill Amphitheater. Every Fourth of July, residents dress in patriotic costumes and fill Confederate Park for the Civil War-era cannon firing to commemorate the historic day. Then, they shop around downtown and watch live music performances at the bandstand.
For a great burger, head to Hobos down on Main Street in historic Fort Mill.
Locals can buy fresh and local groceries near Baxter Village at the Spring Farm Peach Stand.
For a fun time in a retro setting, head to Rewind Brewery in Fort Mill.
The PuckerButt Pepper Company in Fort Mill is home to the famous Carolina Reaper pepper.
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Low crime rate and involved police department
In 2023, Fort Mill was dubbed South Carolina’s safest small city by several websites including MoneyGeek and SafeWise. According to FBI crime data from 2022, Fort Mill had a violent crime rate of 0.7 incidents per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of 7.4 incidents per 1,000 people. The city is patrolled by both York County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Mill Police Department, and both focus heavily on community policing; folks can get involved in the “Do the Right Thing” campaign where school-aged children are nominated and recognized for exceptional behavior through a ceremony sponsored by nearby businesses.
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