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!