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Hey guys! We're planning a move to South Carolina sometime within the next few months. We are a family with me, my mom, and my daughter who is 7. We will be paying cash for a home - probably with a budget of around $150K. I work from home right now as a teacher but may be eventually going back to work in the retail or business field.
Right now we are looking into Columbia, Spartanburg, and Greenville as prospects. We are seeing a lot of homes that we like in these areas. We enjoy being close to shopping and restaurants. We like a suburban feel. We also enjoy parks and playgrounds and hiking. We would love if the area had lots of kids activities like trampoline parks, water parks, or kids events.
We are VERY used to the heat and humidity, as we've spent the last 10 years in Southwest Florida. (Hello from Florida!!). I know there is a small difference in weather between the cities, but it's not so much of a concern for us. We are more concerned with safety, proximity to restaurants/shopping, and nice family neighborhoods.
What do you like about Columbia, Spartanburg, and Greenville so far?
The cheap homes!! But seriously, the houses and neighborhoods are so much nicer for your money than what we can get here. The same homes would cost 2x as much where I live here in Florida. I like the activities that they have for kids as well. Schools are important too, of course.
The cities we've looked at in SC so far seem fairly similar. What would you consider to be their biggest differences?
The cost of living is lower in South Carolina than it is in Florida.
Columbia is lower in elevation and warmer than Greenville and Spartanburg. If you want to be between the coast and the mountains, Columbia may interest you. Keep in mind Columbia has the University of South Carolina, United States Army's Fort Jackson, and South Carolina's state government and agencies contributing to the area.
The Upstate is closer to the mountains and not quite as hot in the summer as the Midlands. The Upstate is midway between more destinations such as Charlotte and Atlanta and is closer to Asheville. But Columbia is closer to Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Augusta, Ga. If that is a factor. I moved from Greenville to Spartanburg because housing was cheaper. And a nice bonus in Spartanburg is you can receive radio and TV signals easily from both Charlotte and GSP, with an antenna, whereas the Charlotte signals begin to drop out into Greenville County. Although I am old school in that regard and I realize that may not be important to everybody. Also in Spartanburg it is closer to the better shopping choices in Charlotte such as SouthPark and Concord Mills. Haywood is the best mall in the Upstate and the only Upstate location for Macy's. But Spartanburg does have Westgate which offers Belk and Dillard's. But Downtown Greenville is a very nice destination with Falls Park, unique shops, and fine dining. Just too expensive for most to afford to live, although very nice townhomes and upscale apartments.
People don't go to Columbia because they want to, they go because they have to.
Spartanburg also has the nickname of "Murderburg."
Greenville isn't perfect, in fact some areas are very rough, but out of the three it's by far the most desirable one to live in out of the three.
Now that I've gotten the negativity out of the way, let me tell you why Greenville is awesome. Downtown is modern and very walkable with new construction still continuing. The Falls Park is an absolute gem of nature to be found in a city. There's a bunch of great food around. Being close to the mountains (and being able to see them from places all around town) is awesome. There's tons of outdoors stuff to do from hiking to biking to being on the water. If you've never visited here, I highly recommend it. Chances are, you'll fall in love!
People don't go to Columbia because they want to, they go because they have to. Spartanburg also has the nickname of "Murderburg."
Columbia is actually a very nice small city, with friendly people and has grown 20% since 1990 and averaged 3% annually which would indicate there's plenty of reason to move there on one's own volition. It's noteworthy that Greenville residents in this forum have shall we say a less than favorable outlook over anywhere else but there. Perhaps that says something about Greenville in general? OP, also consider that BMW and MIchelin chose Spartanburg for their US operations, and that the varying Spartanburg County school districts occupy 4 of the top 8 ratings in the state and 8 of the top 20.
Spartanburg seems to have a high crime rate, but I know that crime is usually populated in one specific neighborhood/area. What areas of Spartanburg should be avoided? Does Greenville have a "rough" neighborhood too? Thanks all for your info!
I’ll defend Spartanburg — we’ve been her three years and adore it. We’re in the City limits on the east side off Main Street, convenient to everything. The mall is pretty sad but we have the big box (Target, Home Depot/Lowes, Hobby Lobby, Kohl’s etc) A day trip to Haywood Mall and all the shops on Woodruff in Greenville is fun without dealing with the day-to-day traffic congestion.
The neighbors seem happy with the schools, including a fabulous brand new high school and currently being remodeled middle school. There is a wonderful, large library, cultural arts center, children’s museum. There are six colleges with cultural/sports events to attend.
The City has quite a few independent restaurants that are surviving the pandemic, 2 wine shops, an outdoor beer garden, coffee shops, a modern/high tech bowling alley, axe throwing, independent bookstore, and a Barnes & Noble. There are a good number of street fairs — Dickens Christmas, BBQ, Hamburger Cookoffs, etc. throughout the year. Morgan Square hosts music events during the summer and a small ice-skating rink from November to January. The downtown is thriving and really cute.
The only crime we have experienced in our general area have been car breakins (frequently because the doors were left unlocked). Yes, the crime is pretty much localized in a couple areas.
Our neighbors were extremely welcoming, found a wonderful church. Is it perfect for everyone? No, but we’ve found it to be a great place to live (we’re retired so can’t advise much on jobs)
Best of luck in your search.
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But seriously, the houses and neighborhoods are so much nicer for your money than what we can get here. The same homes would cost 2x as much where I live here in Florida. I like the activities that they have for kids as well. Schools are important too, of course. 
