Greenville is located in the Piedmont region of South Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It is the county seat of Greenville County and is approximately halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte, along Interstate I-85. Greenville is the sixth largest city in the state of South Carolina.

Otherwise known as the ‘Upstate,’ Greenville, South Carolina is small in population but large in living.The city’s lifestyle is as varied as its people. Greenville, SC offers a wide variety of living accommodations and real estate, from traditional older neighborhoods, historical districts, and suburban areas, to urban living in downtown.

Once known as "The Textile Capital of the World," Greenville's economy is now headquarters for a number of companies. The city is the North American headquarters for Michelin and sole manufacturing for BMW outside of Germany. Recently, the International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) has been created by a consortium including Clemson University, BMW, Timken, IBM, Microsoft, Michelin, and the Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE).

Greenville also has a thriving entrepreneurial community, served by a wide variety of organizations under the banner of NEXT, a resource collaborative. These smaller, high-potential technology firms are located in many sectors, from IT to advanced materials and medical devices. The infrastructure of support provided by NEXT and its partner organizations are designed to help take these firms to the next level, creating more jobs and wealth in the community. Coming online in the spring of 2009 will be the NEXT Innovation Center, a 60,000 square foot facility in downtown Greenville designed to serve as collaboration space/offices for NEXT firms. The facility was modeled after a similar space in Dublin, Ireland - the Digital Hub.

There is something for everyone in Greenville in regard to education and the community is dedicated to ensuring that quality options exist. Greenville is home to the 51st largest school district in the nation, serving nearly 70,000 students. The community recently put the finishing touches on the largest educational building project in the state's history a six-year, 70-school, $1.88 billion construction project.

Greenville is also home to a number of charter schools, including the Greenville Tech Charter High School, ranked as one of the top 15 charter schools in the country. Aside from the public system, Greenville offers a number of private and parochial school options. St. Joseph's Catholic School is consistently rated as one of the top Catholic high schools in the nation.

Greenville is home to Greenville Technical College, the flagship of the state's technical college system. This school provides numerous opportunities for post-secondary education, from certificates and technical degrees to college transfer, Greenville Tech has touched the lives of countless Greenville residents since opening it doors many years ago. Post-secondary educational opportunities abound as Greenville is home to the University Center of Greenville. This unique state-of-the-art teaching and learning center is designed to serve the needs of working adults who want to pursue four-year graduate-level degrees, but without having to leave Greenville County. Most courses are offered in the evenings, for the convenience of working adults. Seven senior institutions are members in the University Center's consortium; Clemson, Furman, Lander, MUSC, SC State, USC, and USC Upstate. Greenville Tech is also a member. Other educational opportunities are available through Furman University, a private, liberal arts university located only a few minutes from downtown as well as from Bob Jones University, located in the heart of Greenville. Finally, North Greenville University is located in the northern environs of Greenville County. Many other options - including Clemson University - are available to Greenville residents as well. In fact, Clemson has located its Renaissance Center in the Central Business District in Greenville.

Greenville is committed to ensuring that growth occurs while maintaining a strong quality of life. A number of organizations are involved in this area, most noticeably Upstate Forever (www.upstateforever.org). Furman University is actively engaged in efforts to promote sustainability. LEEDS certification continues to grow in favor with new developments, including the CU-ICAR campus. Greenville continues to become more bike-friendly as it hosts the USA Pro-Cycling Championships annual event and also creates more bike lanes downtown. The City and County have worked together to convert an old rail line into a regional greenway system, the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Eventually, this will connect Travelers Rest (10 miles north of Greenville) to Lake Conestee south of the City. The trail is located in the Reedy River watershed system. Public transit is available through GreenLink. Recycling programs are strong both at the City and County level.

Greenville County has three state parks, comprising over 12,000 acres, offering traditional outdoor adventure ranging from hiking to camping and mountain biking.

A countywide park system provides 47 facilities that range from neighborhood pocket parks to ice skating and inline rinks, water parks, mega outdoor sports complexes for baseball and soccer, and indoor neighborhood based community centers. A greenway master plan includes over 150 miles of interconnected bike and walking trails. The county system also offers over 200 individual programs ranging from swim team to tennis, football to kayaking and rappelling. Programs are also offered for special populations including a state of the art residential camp that serves persons with disabilities

Housing Cost

Greenville has a rich history of diverse living environments and neighborhood identity, and offers housing options within traditional older neighborhoods, historic districts, suburban areas or the heart of a bustling downtown. The average home price is $171,960 while houses range from $65,000 to $500,000.

Demographics

Estimated population in July 2006: 57,428. Greenville covers 26.1 square miles.  It sits at an elevation of 966 feet above sea level.

Climate

Greenville, SC climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 40's.

The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 88.80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 31.40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average difference of 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

The annual average precipitation at Greenville is 50.24 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is March with an average rainfall of 5.31 Inches.

Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com