Greer's industrial spirit with an international
twist
Greer has been imbued with an entrepreneurial spirit since its founding as a railroad town in the 1870s. As the story goes, James Manning Greer heard about the development of a new rail line through Upstate South Carolina, initially planned to go through the nearby town of Reidville. Seizing the opportunity, Greer convinced the rail company to change its path and instead build a station on his land. The town that popped up around the depot soon incorporated into the city of Greers, eventually losing the “s” to become Greer. “When I learned that story, I thought it kind of spoke to the spirit of Greer,” says Ayla Fitzpatrick, community and media outreach coordinator for the city of Greer. “The people here, they know what they want. They want growth in a certain way, and they’re not afraid to go out and get it.” Since its start, Greer has been home to textile mills, food processing plants and manufacturing facilities. Today, the city's blue-collar energy parallels a worldly streak, thanks to international corporations — most prominently BMW — that have taken up shop near the community. “We have a surprisingly international population for a city of our kind and our location,” Fitzpatrick says. “I think that gives us kind of a uniqueness that can be surprising when people show up, from the types of people you’ll interact with when you’re just enjoying a day to the restaurants and the shops.”
Many mills and older buildings have been converted into modern business in Greer.
Places like the Flying Fox Coffee serves up hot brews to Greer residents.
The Greer Trade Street Shops offer a great place to hang out.
Greer used to be a railroad town in the 1870s.
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New construction to keep up with Upstate South Carolina's growth
Greer sits about 15 miles between Greenville and Spartanburg in Upstate South Carolina, one of the country's fastest-growing regions. Greer has seen much of that growth, increasing from a population of roughly 17,000 in 2000 to almost 50,000 today. “A lot of people looking in Greer want to be close to Greenville, but they don’t want to be in Greenville,” says Mary Beth Shealy, a Realtor and broker with the Mary Beth Shealy Group of Keller Williams Western Upstate. “It’s a little cheaper, too, so that has a little to do with it. You can buy more in Greer than you can in Greenville.” The median home price in Greer is $355,000 — higher than in Greenville — although homebuyers can get significantly more house for their money in Greer, where the average price per square foot is $180 compared to $224 in Greenville. As the population increases, new construction continues apace. Craftsman-influenced new traditional homes sell in the upper $200,000s to mid-$300,000s, while older cottages and Colonial Revivals can sell from $500,000 to $900,000.
Large family homes sitting on small plots of land can be found throughout Greer.
New traditional homes are becoming more common in Greer.
Ranch and cottage homes are still quite common in Greer, SC.
Colonial homes sitting on large plots of land can be found in various Greer subdivisions.
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Highly rated schools in both Greenville and Spartanburg counties
The city of Greer is split between Greenville County and Spartanburg County. The Greenville County side is zoned into the Greenville County School District, which receives an A-minus grade from Niche. The district has a robust school-choice system, with 11 magnet academies across fields such as foreign language, math and science, as well as the Bonds Career Center located in Greer. Meanwhile, most students on the Spartanburg side attend school in Spartanburg County School District No. 5, which also receives an A-minus from Niche. All students in the district filter up to B-rated Byrnes High School, ranked the best high school for athletes in South Carolina.
Byrnes High School has one of the best sports programs near Greer, SC.
Many students in Greer attend Bob Jones Academy.
Augusta Circle Elementary is very popular with students living in Greer, SC.
Greer High School is one of the larger schools in the area.
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Greer's investment in recreation facilities
City Park is the centerpiece of parks and recreation in Greer. Located downtown adjacent to City Hall, the park features an amphitheater, walking paths, a pond and a playground. As in much of South Carolina, golf is huge in the area. "We've got one of the nicest public golf courses in the Upstate — maybe one of the nicest in the state," says Rick Danner, the mayor of Greer since 2000. The city is also working to keep up with its massive growth. While some indoor recreation facilities have fallen behind, the city is investing roughly $60 million in a sports and events center. “This facility is to, first and foremost, address the needs of our current population,” Fitzpatrick says. The facility will feature basketball and volleyball courts, event rooms and more. Though the focus will be on serving the community, the center could eventually host regional events.
The City Hall sits right next to the Greer City Park.
Located in Downtown Greer, City Park has fantastic, paved walking paths.
The Greer City Amphitheater features performances in the summer.
The Greer Golf Course is a recently renovated course and is open to the public.
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Pedestrian-friendly shopping on Trade Street
The downtown area — known as Greer Station, thanks to its railroad heritage — recently transformed when Trade Street, the area’s main commercial strip, shifted from car-centric to pedestrian-friendly walkways inspired by European town centers. “The amount of foot traffic went up exponentially when we put that in,” Mayor Danner says. The increased foot traffic leads to plenty of restaurants and bars, including Cartwright Food Hall or elevated American fare at SELECT, plus Mason Jar offers a local watering hole, while the Blue Ridge Brewing Company sells beer it brews on-premises. Several boutique shops also call Trade Street home. Shopping throughout the rest of Greer is mainly confined to suburban shopping centers around Wade Hampton Boulevard, such as the Piedmont Marketplace and its Food Lion and Lowe's.
The Cartwright Food Hall in Greer has a great area for working and enjoying food.
Trade Street in downtown Greer is very walkable and has great shops and restaurants.
Downtown Greer is lined with shops and eateries for all walks of life.
Chelsea's offers great fashion selections for the ladies in Greer SC.
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Events in Greer Station
Every fall, the Greer Arts and Eats Festival blocks off much of Trade Street to make the event pedestrian-friendly. Held by the chamber of commerce, the festival includes over 20 food vendors from around the area, plus local musicians and artists. The city also hosts a weekly farmers market every Tuesday in Greer City Park.
The Upstate Renaissance Faire in Green draws huge crowds in the summer.
Food trucks set up shop around Greer downtown during the weekends.
Events like the Holiday Arts Fair attracts residents from all over the upstate.
The Greer Farmers Market runs year-round but more frequently in warmer months.
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Commutes to nearby BMW or inland port
While Greer provides shuttles within Greer Station — bringing visitors from parking lots to Trade Street — residents are very car-reliant within the city. Commuters often have short drives, as the BMW plant is less than 5 miles from downtown Greer and the Greer Inland Port is less than 4. Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, roughly 5 miles south, serves over 20 destinations, including hubs like Atlanta, Washington and Dallas-Fort Worth. Interstate 85 runs past the city, connecting it with its larger neighbors, Spartanburg and Greenville.
The Greer Inland Port is a major industrial hub in the area.
The Greenville-Spartanburg Airport serves over 20 destinations outside of Greer, SC.
BMW is one of the major employers in Greer, SC.
Interstate 85 runs past Greer and connects to Spartanburg and Greenville.
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Public safety in Greer
According to data from the FBI, crime in Greer is much lower than the state and national averages. In July of 2023, the last month for which data was available, the violent crime rate was 94 instances per 100,000 people, compared to the state average of 149 and the U.S. average of 120. Likewise, the property crime rate was 109 offenses per 100,000 people compared to the South Carolina rate of 196 and the national rate of 172. Greer is the location of an EPA Superfund Site just east of downtown at the former site of the Elmore Waste Disposal plant, though there is currently no exposure to contamination. Climate includes four distinct seasons, featuring hot summers and cool winters.
Written By
Brendan Doyle
Photography Contributed By
Viktor Zagorevskiy
Video By
Maurice McNeil
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
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GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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