Greenville area vs. Columbia area (Spartanburg, Anderson: fit in, apartment, house)

[ArcticPhoenix]

Okay, so I've posted a similar topic like this in the Greenville and Columbia forums, and I'm trying to decide which area to move to... and I'd like some help from some of y'all that are native to the area to help me make my decision. My wife and I have settled relatively firmly on moving to South Carolina here in a couple of years, and here are what we are looking for. First thing I list is highest priority, second thing listed is second priority, etc. Help me decide which area is right for me.

1. Cheap... er... "affordable"... housing. We have one income, and I bring in anywhere between 30-32K/yr or thereabouts. This won't be changing. I need a house that's less than 120 K

2. Airport. Which airport is larger, Greenville-Spartanburg International, or Columbia Regional Airport?

3. I'd love the chance to own a little bit of land (a few acres), maybe in a rural area not too too terribly far from the airport (20 miles max if possible)

4. Winter. Who has the worst winter? South Carolina isn't known for its harsh winters, and I live in Eastern Washington right now, so virtually anything south of Pennsylvania would constitute a "mild" winter to me right now, but whose winter is worse, and who has the hottest summer?

5. Utility costs. How expensive is electricity in either of those areas? Right now, I pay around 60/month for a 735 sq. foot apartment.

6. Where can I actually support my family making around 32K/yr? I have zero debt, and really just want a nice home to raise my family. Maybe that one should have been put up at 1... anywho....

I'm really torn. I see good sides to both areas, and am leaning more toward Columbia than Greenville, but the bottom line is I just want to support my family.

So, guys, help me out... which area should I choose and why?

[g-man430]

1. They're about the same in terms of price.
2. Both airports are around the same size. GSP has Allegiant while Columbia has Spirit.
3. I'm sure both have rural areas within 20 minutes of the airport. I know GSP does. Waccamatt or somebody else can tell you whether that is the case for Columbia or not.
4. Neither has terrible winters, but Greenville probably gets a little more snow and ice due to it being closer to the mountains. Columbia has a hotter summer but it's only by 2-3 degrees so you wouldn't know the difference if you chose there over Greenville.
5. I don't know what Columbia's costs are like. Greenville's are fairly cheap. Theirs are probably pretty cheap too if I were to guess.
6. I think either metro area would work for you. I would take a trip to both areas and check them out then make your decision.

[myrc60]

Yes, take a trip to both cities but not on the hottest day of the year. That was when we went to Greenwood/Columbia.

[B&R]

FWIW

1. The average home value is really about the same for Greenville and Columbia and slightly higher than 120K but you should be able to find an older home in that range either place.

2. GSP has about 20% more traffic than Columbia.

3. Definitely acreage within 20 miles of GSP. I assume the same is true for Columbia.

4. You are correct. No harsh winter weather in SC. Only the mountains can count on snow each year. Greenville averages slightly more snow than Columbia. Also Greenville is a little more likely to have a big winter storm ( 2 or 3 times a decade.) Summers are a little hotter and longer in Columbia but nothing drastic.

5. My electric bill has been about $75-80 a month for an 1800 square foot house in Greenville. More in summer if we need to use the air conditioning a lot.

6. Average income levels in Greenville and Columbia about the same and close to your figure. You would fit in the middle quartile.

[waccamatt]

The above answers are all correct. The differences between the 2 cities are that Columbia has more college students and is a bit more politically liberal. Greenville is closer to the mountains and Columbia is close to Lake Murray and Congaree National Park. I'd recommend visiting both places and seeing which place is a better fit for you; that is really the only way to know for sure. I think spring and fall are the prettiest times of year in Columbia and I bet the same is true in Greenville. I love fall in Columbia because of football season, crisp and cool weather and there's always a lot of people in town when there's a home football game. I'm sure someone could recommend the most fun time to visit Greenville, too.

[ArcticPhoenix]

Hrmm... thanks for all the answers. Wacca, you've responded to me before, and it's nice to get an idea from other people, especially wrt utility prices.

Interesting about more traffic in Greenville, I'm assuming that's because there are more people in the Greenville-Anderson area than Columbia (just a rough guestimate that may or may not be entirely correct ). Therefore, it would make sense that there would be more in the way of transportation.

It sounds like Columbia might be the nicer place for me, though. I may want to go on after I get my degree here in Washington, but I'm going to take a guess here that, while I really need to experience both places to get the full feel of them, they're probably pretty similar. I suppose that makes sense, and is what is drawing me to both places, and why I'm having a tough time deciding. Perhaps I should visit both of these places in the dead of winter to see what they would be like during that time of the year.

Good to know, too, that I would fit into the middle range of the population. My family's biggest drawback is that my wife doesn't work. She would if she absolutely had to, I'm sure, but she wants to avoid that, and I support her in that decision.

On a side note, how difficult is homeschooling in GSP vs. Columbia?