Greer, South Carolina

Greer, South Carolina
City
Downtown Greer
Downtown Greer
Official seal of Greer, South Carolina
Seal
Motto(s): 
A Great Place to Live, Work, and Play
Interactive map of Greer, South Carolina
Greer is located in South Carolina
Greer
Greer
Location within South Carolina
Coordinates: 34°55′54″N 82°13′45″W / 34.9318°N 82.2291°W / 34.9318; -82.2291
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Carolina
CountiesGreenville, Spartanburg
Founded1876
IncorporatedMarch 25, 1876
Named forJames Manning Greer
Government
 • TypeCouncil–Manager
 • MayorRichard W. Danner
 • City AdministratorAndy Merriman
 • CouncilmembersJay Arrowood
Karuiam Booker
Mark Hopper
Charles Lander
Wryley Bettis
Paul Lamb
Area
 • City
26.601 sq mi (68.896 km2)
 • Land24.482 sq mi (63.408 km2)
 • Water2.119 sq mi (5.488 km2)  7.97%
Elevation
974 ft (297 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City
35,308
 • Estimate 
(2025)
50,007
 • RankUS: 824th
SC: 9th
 • Density1,442.2/sq mi (556.84/km2)
 • Urban
387,271 (US: 109th)
 • Metro
1,014,101 (US: 55th)
 • Combined
1,659,022 (US: 38th)
Time zoneUTC–5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC–4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
29650, 29651, 29652
Area codes864 and 821
FIPS code45-30985
GNIS feature ID2403758
HighwaysSC 14, US 25, US 29, I-85, SC 101, SC 253, SC 290
Websitecityofgreer.org

Greer is a city in Greenville and Spartanburg Counties, South Carolina, United States. The population was 35,308 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 50,007 in 2025, making it the nineth-most populous city in South Carolina. Greer is included in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area in Upstate South Carolina.

History

Greer was named for James Manning Greer, who was Scottish. Many of his descendants still reside in the region. James Manning Greer was a descendant of John Greer Sr., who surveyed his land in Laurens County in 1750. John and his family were already in Laurens County, prior to the Greer passengers who arrived aboard the ship The Falls in 1764. John, Sr.'s great-grandson, James Manning Greer, settled his family near Greenville in an area that eventually became known as Greer's Station.

Greer Downtown Historic District

The area now known as Greer was once part of the "Domain of the Cherokees" prior to the American Revolutionary War. In 1777, the area was added to the state of South Carolina. Development toward the birth of the town occurred in 1873, when the Richmond and Danville Air Line Railway (now the Norfolk Southern Railway) established a line between Atlanta and Charlotte. A station was built on land that belonged to James Manning Greer, and was named Greer's Station. The first post office was located in the new depot, Greer's Depot. That depot was a red brick, Victorian structure with a slate roof and a cupola. It was located immediately adjacent to the current Norfolk Southern rail line between Trade Street and Depot Street, facing toward Moore Street. It was demolished in 1976 by its then owner, the Southern Railway System, in order to avoid property taxes. When the town was incorporated in 1876, it was named Town of Greer's. One hundred years later, the name was officially changed to the City of Greer without an "s" on the end.

Merchants, blacksmiths and physicians set up shop in what is now the downtown area of Greer. In 1900, Greer's first bank, the Bank of Greer's, opened. The Piedmont and Northern Railway laid a second railroad line through Greer in 1914. With two active train lines, Greer became an attractive site for commerce. The railway meant big business for local farmers, enabling them to ship their crops, mainly cotton and peaches, out of state. Greer also became a textile-manufacturing center, with flourishing mills that included Victor, Franklin, Apalache and Greer Mills. The communities that grew up around the mills were as close-knit as the outlying farming communities.

In 1939, artist Winfred Walkley painted a mural, Cotton and Peach Growing, for the town's old post office as one of thirteen works commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts between 1938 and 1941 for post offices and federal buildings throughout South Carolina. The building is now home to the Greer Heritage Museum.

After World War II, the city began to grow and diversify its industrial base. A new hospital and high school were built. People came to downtown Greer from Spartanburg and Greenville to shop. In the early 1960s, Interstate 85 was opened, as well as the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. Imports derailed the textile industry in the 1970s and threatened to turn Greer into a ghost town, but the citizens of Greer worked together to attract new industry.

Geography

Greer is located 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Greenville and 17 miles (27 km) west of Spartanburg.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 26.601 square miles (68.90 km2), of which 24.482 square miles (63.41 km2) is land and 2.119 square miles (5.49 km2) (7.97%) is water. Greer has three lakes: Apalache Lake, Lake Robinson, and Lake Cunningham. The South Tyger River runs through the northern part of Greer, part of the Broad River watershed.

Climate

Climate data for Greer, South Carolina (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1893−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 52.8
(11.6)		 57.0
(13.9)		 64.4
(18.0)		 73.2
(22.9)		 80.3
(26.8)		 87.2
(30.7)		 90.3
(32.4)		 88.5
(31.4)		 82.7
(28.2)		 73.1
(22.8)		 62.9
(17.2)		 54.9
(12.7)		 72.3
(22.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 42.5
(5.8)		 45.9
(7.7)		 52.8
(11.6)		 61.0
(16.1)		 68.9
(20.5)		 76.3
(24.6)		 79.7
(26.5)		 78.4
(25.8)		 72.5
(22.5)		 61.7
(16.5)		 51.6
(10.9)		 44.8
(7.1)		 61.3
(16.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 32.1
(0.1)		 34.8
(1.6)		 41.2
(5.1)		 48.7
(9.3)		 57.5
(14.2)		 65.5
(18.6)		 69.2
(20.7)		 68.3
(20.2)		 62.4
(16.9)		 50.4
(10.2)		 40.4
(4.7)		 34.8
(1.6)		 50.4
(10.2)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.12
(105)		 3.84
(98)		 4.48
(114)		 4.04
(103)		 4.07
(103)		 3.90
(99)		 4.82
(122)		 4.66
(118)		 3.73
(95)		 3.59
(91)		 3.84
(98)		 4.58
(116)		 49.57
(1,259)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.6
(4.1)		 1.0
(2.5)		 0.6
(1.5)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0.6
(1.5)		 3.9
(9.9)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.4 9.4 10.2 9.7 9.7 10.8 12.0 11.1 8.0 7.1 8.5 10.0 116.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.01 in) 1.1 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.4 2.6
Source 1: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Source 2: National Centers for Environmental Information

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
188097—
1890320229.9%
1900648102.5%
19101,673158.2%
19202,29237.0%
19302,4195.5%
19402,94021.5%
19505,05071.8%
19608,96777.6%
197010,64218.7%
198010,525−1.1%
199010,322−1.9%
200016,84363.2%
201025,51551.5%
202035,30838.4%
2025 (est.)50,00741.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census

According to realtor website Zillow, the average price of a home as of September 30, 2026, in Greer was $349,020.

As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there were 16,285 estimated households in Greer with an average of 2.53 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $82,626. Approximately 10.1% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Greer has an estimated 67.8% employment rate, with 41.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 91.0% holding a high school diploma. There were 17,551 housing units at an average density of 716.89 per square mile (276.79/km2).

The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (81.9%), Spanish (11.6%), Indo-European (2.7%), Asian and Pacific Islander (3.3%), and Other (0.5%).

The median age in the city was 36.0 years.

Greer, South Carolina – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1990 Pop. 2000 Pop. 2010 Pop. 2020 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 7,474 11,809 16,428 20,627 72.41% 70.11% 64.39% 58.42%
Black or African American alone (NH) 2,728 3,269 4,339 5,524 26.43% 19.41% 17.01% 15.65%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 23 28 41 60 0.22% 0.17% 0.16% 0.17%
Asian alone (NH) 15 191 565 1,868 0.15% 1.13% 2.21% 5.29%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) — 7 11 13 — 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
Other race alone (NH) 2 15 60 164 0.02% 0.09% 0.24% 0.46%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — 147 384 1,422 — 0.87% 1.50% 4.03%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 80 1,377 3,687 5,630 0.78% 8.18% 14.45% 15.95%
Total 10,322 16,843 25,515 35,308 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 35,308 people, 13,857 households, and 9,277 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,541.36 inhabitants per square mile (595.12/km2). There were 14,942 housing units at an average density of 652.29 per square mile (251.85/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 60.89% White, 15.97% African American, 0.51% Native American, 5.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.23% from some other races and 9.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 15.95% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 25,515 people, 10,012 households, and 6,685 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,236.37 inhabitants per square mile (477.37/km2). There were 11,127 housing units at an average density of 539.18 per square mile (208.18/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 70.83% White, 17.26% African American, 0.26% Native American, 2.23% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.24% from some other races and 2.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 14.45% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 16,843 people, 6,714 households, and 4,511 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,044.47 inhabitants per square mile (403.27/km2). There were 7,386 housing units at an average density of 458.02 per square mile (176.84/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.39% White, 19.49% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.42% from some other races and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.18% of the population.

21.6% were of American, 9.5% Irish, 8.9% German and 8.4% English ancestry. 90.6% spoke English and 8.5% Spanish as their first language. Since 2000, the city has seen an explosive increase in Hispanic immigration.

There were 6,714 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,140, and the median income for a family was $41,864. Males had a median income of $33,147 versus $23,566 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,546. About 12.2% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Greer is adjacent to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), which serves Greenville, Spartanburg, and Upstate South Carolina. Greer is also the site of the largest BMW manufacturing facility in North America. According to a June 2005 article in The Greenville News, BMW's Greer plant employs about 9,000 people, and has attracted dozens of suppliers in South Carolina, providing jobs for more than 12,000 people. Greer is home to the South Carolina Inland Port, an intermodal facility that receives and sends containers by rail to the Port of Charleston. The city is also home to the National Weather Service office that serves Upstate South Carolina, Northeastern Georgia and Southwestern North Carolina including the Charlotte Metropolitan Area.

Arts and culture

Greer has a public library, a branch of the Greenville County Library System.

The Arthur Barnwell House, Davenport House, Gilreath's Mill, Greer Depot, Greer Downtown Historic District, Greer Post Office, Louie James House, R. Perry Turner House, Robert G. Turner House and Earle R. Taylor House and Peach Packing Shed are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Parks and recreation

The Greer City Stadium is a WPA project completed in 1938; it currently seats 3,000. The stadium has hosted little league, scholastic, The American Legion World Series, and semi-professional sports.

In 2012, the Cannon Center, a former National Guard armory, became a basketball gym. The facility was originally built in 1936.

The City of Greer Municipal Complex was completed in 2008, and includes the 12-acre (4.9 ha) Greer City Park.

Landmarks

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Pelham Medical Center, part of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, is a 48-bed hospital providing emergency services, general surgery, gynecology, orthopedics, cardiology (non-invasive), endocrinology, gastroenterology, general medicine, oncology, and intensive care services. This campus includes Pelham Medical Center Medical Office Building, the Surgery Center at Pelham, and the Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute at Pelham, which provides radiation oncology, medical oncology, and Cyberknife M6 surgery.

Greer Memorial Hospital is an 82-bed facility with emergency, ICU and maternity care.

Transportation

Airports

Greer is served by the Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport Roger Milliken Field, which in 2012 handled over 1.7 million passengers. The airport is a commercial Class C airport, with cargo and passenger facilities.

Railroads

Greer is served by Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, which operates to both Greenville and Spartanburg. Greer is the location of Inland Port Greer, one of two inland ports in South Carolina, built to handle containerized goods. Inland Port Greer is served by Norfolk Southern and connects Greer to the Port of Charleston.

Highways

One two-digit Interstate highway runs through Greer. Interstate 85 passes 5 miles (8 km) south of the city center, with access from Exits 57 through 60. I-85 leads northeast 90 miles (140 km) to Charlotte, North Carolina, and southwest 154 miles (248 km) to Atlanta. U.S. Route 29 runs through Greer, connecting Greenville and Spartanburg. South Carolina Highway 14 and South Carolina Highway 290 both run through Greer. SC 14 leads north 18 miles (29 km) to Landrum, near the North Carolina border, and south 16 miles (26 km) to Simpsonville, while SC 290 leads east 5 miles (8 km) to Duncan and northwest 13 miles (21 km) to U.S. Route 25 north of Travelers Rest.

Education

Residents of Greenville County are in the Greenville County School District. Within Spartanburg County, portions are in the Greenville County district, while other portions are in the Spartanburg School District 5.

Greer is primarily served by two high schools. Greer High School serves Downtown Greer and the areas north of downtown whereas Riverside High School serves the majority of the remainder of Greer.

Portions of Greer are also served by Blue Ridge High School and Eastside High School, in Greenville County School District, and James F. Byrnes High School in Spartanburg School District 5.

Greer Middle College Charter High School is a charter public school in the Greater Greer area.

The Greater Greer Area High Schools in Greenville County are served by J. Harley Bonds Career Center.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "History of Greer". www.cityofgreer.org. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Greer City Council". City of Greer, South Carolina. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "2026 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  4. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Greer, South Carolina
  5. 1 2 3 "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  7. ↑ "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". www.federalregister.gov. Federal Register. December 29, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  8. ↑ "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 "History of Greer". www.cityofgreer.org. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Greer". South Carolina Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  11. ↑ Project, SC Picture (November 16, 2008). "Greer Station". SC Picture Project. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Greer Station". www.cityofgreer.org. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  13. ↑ "South Carolina Railroads – Piedmont & Northern Railway". www.carolana.com. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Greer Post Office". Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Home". Greer Heritage Museum. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  16. ↑ "The Greer Community History". Greer Development Corporation. 2005. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ "About Greer". City of Greer, South Carolina. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  18. ↑ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Station: Greer, SC". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). Asheville, North Carolina: NCEI. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Greer, SC Housing Market". Zillow. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  22. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Greer city, South Carolina". www.census.gov. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  23. ↑ South Carolina: 1990 (PDF). United States Census Bureau. pp. 42 of 397. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  24. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Greer city, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  25. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Greer city, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  26. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Greer city, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  27. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  28. ↑ "How many people live in Greer city, South Carolina". USA Today. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  29. ↑ "South Carolina: 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. July 2012. p. 135 of 234. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  30. ↑ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Greenville-Spartanburg, SC". www.weather.gov. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Locations & Hours". Greenville County Library System. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  32. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  33. ↑ National Register listing. National Park Service.
  34. ↑ "Greer City Stadium". www.cityofgreer.org. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011.
  35. ↑ Fair, Jim (May 9, 2012). "Cannon Centre keeps history and location intact". GreerToday.com. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Cannon Centre". www.visitgreenvillesc.com. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  37. ↑ "Mayor". www.cityofgreer.org. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Greer City Park". www.visitgreenvillesc.com. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Greer City Park". Greenville Visitor Center. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  40. ↑ "About Us". Greer Heritage Museum. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  41. ↑ "About Us". Greer Station. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  42. ↑ "BMW Zentrum". BMW Group Plant Spartanburg. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  43. ↑ "BMW Zentrum". Greenville Visitor Center. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Lake Robinson". Greer Commission of Public Works. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Pelham Medical Center – Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System". www.spartanburgregional.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  46. ↑ "Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute – Pelham". www.spartanburgregional.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  47. ↑ "Radiation Oncology at Gibbs Cancer Center – Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System". www.spartanburgregional.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  48. ↑ "Greer Memorial Hospital". Prisma Health – Upstate. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  49. ↑ "Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport Information". Airport Hotel Guide.
  50. ↑ "Passenger Airlines". GSP International Airport.
  51. ↑ "Work Begins on New South Carolina Inland Port". Global Trade. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  52. ↑ 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Greenville County, SC (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 8, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2026. - Text list
  53. 1 2 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Spartanburg County, SC (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 8, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2026. - Text list
  54. 1 2 "Find Your School /FYS - Greenville County Schools". fys.greenville.k12.sc.us. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  55. ↑ "Greenville County Schools - High Schools". www.greenville.k12.sc.us. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  56. ↑ "Greer Middle College | Charter High School | Engaging Learning". Greer Middle College. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  57. ↑ "J. Harley Bonds Career Center". www.greenville.k12.sc.us. Retrieved October 7, 2026.