Is Spartanburg a Good Place to Live (Greenville, Anderson: to rent, high crime)

[cleveburg]

Originally Posted by motonenterprises

Why not just move to Greenville or many of the suburbs around it? Simpsonville, Greer, Mauldin, TR just to name a few.

Out of the few suburbs you mentioned above, could you possible rate them 1-5 in terms of the school system? Also, the distance to shopping, healthcare, and downtown Greenville.

The reason I ask is because my daughter and I will need specialized healthcare. I'd like to be within a decent system.

Thanks so much in advance for your perspective.

[Skyliner]

I live in Greenville and work in Spartanburg very, very often. I speak from firsthand experience on a nearly daily basis. There are major differences in most key categories, but that does not mean people will feel less adequate in either city.

[ILMK]

I would not willingly live in Spartanburg and that says a lot b/c I currently live there. I do not like it. The one and only good thing about Spartanburg is that it is cheaper than Greenville, but not much.

I think you have to be from Spartanburg or somewhere a lot worse than Spartanburg to appreciate it.

[momix5]

Has anyone heard of Marrieta?

[southerngentleman]

Marrieta is a wide place in the road south of greenville, They do have a drug-store that makes cokes from syrup and soda water that is neat!

[Tommy1981]

Marietta is in Northern Greenville County. I've driven past there on the way to Table Rock State Park.

Marietta, SC - Google Maps

[SouthrnFem]

I'll begin by saying that I am originally from Spartanburg and have lived in various areas of the county throughout the years (within the city limits of Spartanburg, the Walnut Grove/Roebuck area, the Campobello/Gramling area, Duncan, and even the Woodruff area as a child). However, I've also lived in Frankfurt (Germany), Columbia (South Carolina), Edisto Island (South Carolina) and Manhattan (Kansas). I currently reside in Charlotte (North Carolina) and have been here for the past five years. Despite my moving about, the one place I would like to return to is Spartanburg. And, I'm pleased to say that I will be doing precisely that in June.

Several people have noted that in deciding on where to live, you should ask yourself what you're wanting from the community. I couldn't agree more. One thing I've noticed in my moving around is that larger cities are busier, the people are less friendly, the atmosphere is hurried, the traffic is worse; but, usually there's a greater emphasis and interest in the arts. As for me, I prefer live in wide open spaces, have strangers on tractors wave to me on my way home from work, and drive into the city when I need a social "fix".

As for the schools in Spartanburg county, there again it depends on what your specific needs are. Some larger districts tend to have better test scores, but cater very little to the individual needs of a particular child. Some of the smaller districts may have worse test scores, but better programs for kids who fall into the "special needs" category. I would recommend doing a bit of research at the SC Department of Education's website: South Carolina Department of Education Specifically, look under the "topics" tab to locate test/assessment information and the "community" tab for additional information in the parents section. The only district I would not recommend is Spartanburg Co. District 7. It just isn't what it used to be 20+ years ago.

For the record, I would like to note that in my years of living in Spartanburg, I was never the victim of any crime (violent or nonviolent)... despite leaving my doors unlocked (which I wouldn't recommend to anyone, regardless of where you live). So, I was surprised to hear someone say they wouldn't live in Spartanburg for fear of being the victim of a crime. That comment made me curious; so, I went here:
South Carolina Index Crime Rates per 10,000 Population 2005 (it's county data, not city data). For what it's worth, here's what I noticed:

South Carolina Index Crime Rates per 10,000 Population (2005)

GREENVILLE:
Est. Population: 407,400
Murder: 0.8
Rape: 4.6
Robbery: 15.2
Aggrev. Assault: 59.6
Breaking and Entering: 101.3
Larceny: 281.3
Motor Vehicle Theft: 39.8
Index Total: 502.6

SPARTANBURG:
Est. Population: 266,800
Murder: 1.0
Rape: 3.0
Robbery: 11.1
Aggrev. Assault: 48.8
Breaking and Entering: 102.4
Larceny: 302.8
Motor Vehicle Theft: 34.6
Index Total: 503.8

For those people searching for the ideal location, I wish you the best of luck!

[dwsc]

The area around USC Upstate is very nice but I am not sure as to the schools there. You may want to consider Simpsonville as it's pretty nice. Hope this helps!

[thillcochran]

We are moving to Spartanburg this summer. Can someone recommend which Distrcits and neighborhoods are the best to live in? We are looking for a home in the upper 300's.

[happyfeet888]

I have lived in 5 different cities in 3 different states and must disagree about Spartanburg 7 Schools. I live in District 7 and also teach here, and I feel that my children (who both graduated from Spartanburg High School) got excellent educations that prepared both of them for college. In fact Spartanburg High School offers a great number of AP classes and was in the top schools listed by Newsweek. I always felt that my children had fine teachers in 7.

The district is very diverse with poor minority students and affluent non-minority students. For that reason there are schools that are better than others. I feel safe teaching here and I never would have stayed here if my own children hadn't loved school here.

Personally I like the east side of town. It is quieter and more established than the west side of town. People are very friendly and it is less expensive to live on this side of town.

Just my 2 cents.