This small South Carolina city got its name from an inn and fountain along an old stagecoach route. As time went on, Fountain Inn became the destination rather than a stop along the way. A fountain is now proudly featured in the heart of its bustling downtown to honor Fountain Inn’s heritage. The economic development and historic preservation of downtown Main Street are a testament to the city’s status as a South Carolina Main Street community.
Throughout the web of Fountain Inn suburbs, large front porches, small car-ports and fenced-in backyards are common features. “There’s new construction all the time, or you can find older bungalow homes closer to downtown,” says Melissa Jones, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Caine. Aside from bungalows, homebuyers can also find ranch-style older homes. Modern traditional homes make up most of the new builds, with the option to customize features and style. Most homes sit on small, tight-knit lots, but it is possible to find properties with multiple acres. The median home price in Fountain Inn sits around $300,000 but residences can go up to $600,000.
Fountain Inn is growing, and the Greenville County School system is making great efforts to accommodate the swelling student population. “The area was growing so fast that they needed to build another high school,” Jones says. As most of Fountain Inn sits within Greenville County, most children will attend the highly-rated Greenville County Public Schools. Students who start at Fountain Inn Elementary School, rated B-plus on Niche, will filter into Bryson Middle School, a B-rated school located in nearby Simpsonville, South Carolina. Upon opening its doors in 2021, Fountain Inn High School marked the first time the city had its own high school since 1956. The school is still building its curriculum and plans to add a twelfth grade by the 2024-2025 school year. Local high schoolers typically complete their senior year at Simpsonville’s Hillcrest High School, which earned a score of B-plus on Niche.
Much of the growth in Fountain Inn can be attributed to the walkable downtown along Main Street. Rustic brick buildings housing local restaurants and boutiques populate the area. Sweet Catherine’s is a popular cafe known for its made-from-scratch, southern classics like fried green tomatoes or the mile-high chocolate cake. For dinner, locals enjoy watching their pizza and pasta dishes made in the open kitchen at Cucina 100. Voodoo Brewing Company is a popular local hangout. Local beers can be enjoyed inside or at one of the picnic tables on the outdoor patio. For shopping, the Food Lion on North Main Street is stocked with household essentials.
Within its corporate limits, Fountain Inn has six public parks spanning over 50 acres and over 4 miles of walking trails. Children's play equipment can be found at most parks, like PD Terry City Park and Georgia Street Park. Fountain Inn prioritizes creating sporting opportunities for all its citizens. A variety of local sports teams, from volleyball to wrestling, are open to community youth. The Fitness Center, located inside the Fountain Inn Activities and Senior Center, offers exercise equipment and programming for anyone in the community, with scheduling specifically allotted to citizens over the age of 55. The city sponsors an adult softball league and the Miracle League, an accessible baseball team that strives to make baseball available to all children. Based out of the Emmanuel Sports Complex, the accessible field was designed using rubberized turf that accommodates children utilizing wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
Fountain Inn maintains a packed event calendar throughout the year. Local venues, like Voodoo Brewing Company, host regular game nights and specials. Seasonally, the city puts on festive events like the Jeepers Creepers Cruise Inn, where locals decorate their Jeeps for Halloween and the community comes together to enjoy trunk-or-treating and local music. Around Christmas, residents may view a decorated downtown from horse-drawn carriages. The city lights up the night sky with fireworks at the annual firework spectacular, and local businesses and non-profits coordinate with the city to commemorate Juneteenth with the Soul Food Festival.
Interstate 385 provides easy access to the amenities of nearby Greenville without detracting from Fountain Inn’s laid-back lifestyle. While downtown is walkable, a car is necessary to get around and to access outlying cities where more working and shopping opportunities await.
Abrianna Gallup
Brand Name Real Estate Upstate
(864) 714-8403
82 Total Sales
3 in Fountain Inn
$190K - $205K Price Range
Tom Kassab
My Upstate Home LLC
(864) 373-0916
147 Total Sales
1 in Fountain Inn
$299,900 Price
Alan Swartzentruber
KELLER WILLIAMS GREENVILLE CENTRAL
(864) 528-4636
131 Total Sales
8 in Fountain Inn
$180K - $440K Price Range
Jon Ferguson
Keller Williams Greenville Central
(864) 528-9338
81 Total Sales
1 in Fountain Inn
$267,000 Price
Austin Ulich
Plenteous Real Estate, LLC
(678) 626-5961
67 Total Sales
1 in Fountain Inn
$680,000 Price
Savannah Hawkins
Tuehl Seybold Realty, LLC
(803) 590-3516
17 Total Sales
1 in Fountain Inn
$265,000 Price