Greenville County, South Carolina

Greenville County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; locally Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 525,534,<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/> making it the most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Greenville.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is also home to the Greenville County School District, the largest school system in South Carolina. Greenville County is the most populous county in Upstate South Carolina as well as the state. It is the central county of the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area.<ref name="2023OMB">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

18th and 19th centuries

In 1786, due to population growth in Ninety-Six District and the victory of the American Whigs over the British and their colonial Tory and Cherokee allies, the state legislature formed Greenville County (originally spelled Greeneville), named for General Nathanael Greene,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the hero of the American southern campaign.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Greenville County was the first county created in the overarching Ninety-Six District, but from 1791 to 1798, both neighboring Pendleton County (the other county formed from Cherokee territory in northwestern Ninety-Six District) and it were part of the new overarching Washington District. From 1798 to 1800, it was part of the short-lived overarching Pendleton District. In 1798, all counties were reidentified as "elective districts" to be effective on January 1, 1800; thereafter, the Greenville District was no longer part of Pendleton District. In 1868, the districts were converted back to counties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the Civil War ended in the 1860s, former slaves gained freedom, the textile industry grew quickly, and cotton farming expanded in the county. Completion of the Southern Railway in 1893 joined the local economy with the rest of the nation.<ref name="SCEgc">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

20th century

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's consolidation into the 1900s further linked the county with the national economy, and dozens of textile companies opened, with farm workers migrating to associated mill villages. World War I and creation of the Army National Guard's Camp Sevier in Taylors further increased the county's outside connections in the early 20th century.<ref name="SCEgc" /><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Duke's Mayonnaise was started in Greenville in 1917 and still has its company headquarters in the county.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

World War II brought additional contracts for the textile industry in the 1940s. After the war ended, agriculture decreased and business leaders such as Charles E. Daniel and Roger Milliken pursued other industries to replace textiles. Donaldson Air Force Base was converted into an industrial air park (now Donaldson Center Airport) in the early 1960s, and Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport opened then as well.<ref name="SCEgc" />

The 1960s brought gradual racial desegregation until the county's whole school district was integrated in January 1970. Interstate highways I-85, I-185, and I-385 first crossed the county in the 1960s, promoting growth and better economic placement. The mid-1960s reapportionment of state legislative representation into equal-population election districts brought political change, with metropolitan counties such as Greenville gaining influence over rural counties. Greenville County politicians were elected as state house and senate leaders and as state governors (Richard Riley and Carroll A. Campbell Jr.) in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.<ref name="SCEgc" />

Geography

Template:Maplink According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.21%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

State and local protected areas/sites

• Ashmore Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Bald Rock Heritage Preserve<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Belvue Springs Heritage Preserve<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Blackwell Heritage Preserve<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Blue Wall Preserve<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Caesars Head/Jones Gap<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Caesars Head State Park
• Cedar Falls Park<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Clear Creek Heritage Preserve<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Conestee Nature Preserve
• Eva Russell Chandler Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Falls Park on the Reedy
• Greenville Zoo
• J. Verne Smith Park (Lake Robinson)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Jones Gap State Park
• Mills Mill
• Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Paris Mountain State Park
• Pleasant Valley Park<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
• Upcountry History Museum
• Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>

Major water bodies

• Enoree River
• North Saluda Reservoir<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• North Saluda River
• Reedy River
• Saluda River
• South Pacolet River
• South Saluda River

Adjacent counties

• Henderson County, North Carolina – north
• Polk County, North Carolina – northeast
• Spartanburg County – east
• Laurens County – southeast
• Abbeville County – south
• Anderson County – southwest
• Pickens County – west
• Transylvania County, North Carolina – northwest

Major infrastructure

• Donaldson Center Airport
• Greenville Downtown Airport
• Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport (mostly in Spartanburg County)
• Greenville Station (Amtrak)

Demographics

2020 census

Greenville County racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	343,897	65.44%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	87,124	16.58%
Native American	893	0.17%
Asian	12,875	2.45%
Pacific Islander	398	0.08%
Other/mixed	22,322	4.25%
Hispanic or Latino	58,025	11.04%

As of the 2020 census, 525,534 people, 199,551 households, and 130,296 families were residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2000 census, 451,225 people, 176,531 households, and 119,362 families were residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. The 195,462 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 73.8% White, 18.1% African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.1% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 13.0% were American, 11.6% were German, 10.9% were English, and 10.7% were Irish.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 176,531 households, 33.7% had children under 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.4% were not families, and 27.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 3.03. The median age was 37.2 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $46,830 and for a family was $59,043. Males had a median income of $45,752 versus $33,429 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,931. About 10.8% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Race and ethnicity

Greenville County Racial Breakdown of Population<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/>

Racial composition	2010	2019
White	73.8%	76.3%
Black	18.1%	18.4%
Asian	2.0%	2.7%
Native American	0.3%	0.5%
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.1%
Two or more races	1.9%	2.0%
Other	3.8%	0.0%

Ancestry

As of 2016, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Greenville County were:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Government and politics

Greenville County is governed by a 12-member county council. The current county administrator is Joseph Kernell, whom the council appointed in January 2004 after voting in late 2003 to hire him. Kernell was previously the county administrator for St. Charles County, Missouri. Other staff hired by the council include a clerk and an attorney.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Council members are elected by voters in each of the 12 state legislative districts (17–28) within the county and serve staggered four-year terms.<ref name=council>Template:Cite web</ref>

County Council members<ref name="council" />

District	Name / party<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Home<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Elected
17	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname	Travelers Rest	2022<ref name="new2022">Template:Cite news</ref>
18	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname	Greer	2024<ref name="fox2024">Template:Cite news</ref>
19	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname	Greenville	2022<ref name="new2022" />
20	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname	Travelers Rest	2020<ref name=wspa>Template:Cite news</ref>
21	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname	Simpsonville	2024<ref name="fox2024" />
22	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname	Greenville	2024<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
23	Template:Party shading/Democratic|Template:Sortname	Greenville	2022<ref name="new2022" />
24	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname (vice chair)	Greenville	2008<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
25	Template:Party shading/Democratic|Template:Sortname	Greenville	2016<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> (1984)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
26	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname	Pelzer	2022<ref name="new2022" />
27	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname	Simpsonville	2024<ref name="fox2024" />
28	Template:Party shading/Republican|Template:Sortname (chair)	Mauldin	2018<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Sticky header Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot From the latter half of the 20th century onward, Greenville County has voted overwhelmingly Republican in presidential elections. It has gone Republican in every presidential election since 1960, and in all but one election since 1952. Jimmy Carter of neighboring Georgia failed to win the county in 1976 despite winning the state. Carter's 1976 run is the last time a Democrat received 40% or more of the county's vote, and one of only two official Democratic candidates to do so since 1948. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to obtain over 100,000 votes in the county, and Donald Trump's 18.2% margin of victory was the lowest for any Republican since 1980. Biden came within 320 votes of being only the second Democrat in 72 years to win 40% of the county's vote.

The county also rejects Democrats at the state level; it was one of the first areas of the state where Republicans were able to break the long Democratic monopoly on state and local offices.

Law enforcement

When Greenville County was formed in 1786, it was served by the sheriff of the Ninety Six District. A Washington District, including Greenville and Pendleton Counties, existed from 1791 to 1799. (Pendleton was split in 1826 into Pickens and Anderson Counties.) One of the district's first sheriffs, Revolutionary War hero Robert Maxwell, served from 1795 to 1797, when he was killed in an ambush.<ref name=history>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sheriffs in South Carolina were originally elected by the state legislature. In 1808, a law was enacted to provide for the election of the sheriff directly by the citizens of the county, rather than by politicians. This method of election was placed into the South Carolina State Constitution in 1868 and the Office of Sheriff in Greenville County began.<ref name="history" />

In 2017, Sheriff Will Lewis was suspended by Governor Henry McMaster for misconduct, perjury, and obstruction of justice. These charges came out of a sexual assault lawsuit filed by Lewis' female assistant. Although the sheriff said the relationship was consensual, he settled the claim for an undisclosed sum.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lewis was found guilty in 2019 and sentenced to a year of prison, although he did not begin his sentence until October 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:As of, the sheriff of Greenville County is Hobart Lewis. The sheriff's office includes five divisions: Administrative Services, Community Services, Uniform Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Judicial Services.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of 2025, 17 officers of the Greenville County Sheriff's Office have been killed in the line of duty.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Economy

CommunityWorks Federal Credit Union was chartered in 2014 to serve the residents of Greenville County. It is sponsored by CommunityWorks, Inc., a nonprofit community-development financial institution, and receives assistance from the United Way of Greenville County and the Hollingsworth Fund.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

In 2022, the GDP of Greenville County was $40.6 billion (approx. $72,712 per capita).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In chained 2017 dollars, it had a real GDP of $34.3 billion (approx. $61,507 per capita).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 2022 through 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2.1-3.3% within the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Some of the largest employers in the county include Bon Secours, Charter Communications, GE Vernova, Lockheed Martin, Michelin, Prisma Health, Publix, TD Bank, the United States Postal Service, and Walmart.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Greenville County, South Carolina<ref name=":0" />

Industry	Employment Counts	Employment Percentage (%)	Average Annual Wage ($)
Accommodation and Food Services	27,980	9.6	23,920
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	28,877	9.9	42,848
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	210	0.1	37,960
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	5,632	1.9	22,516
Construction	15,291	5.2	77,896
Educational Services	18,844	6.4	51,168
Finance and Insurance	12,361	4.2	80,756
Health Care and Social Assistance	43,180	14.8	67,756
Information	4,850	1.7	73,684
Management of Companies and Enterprises	6,100	2.1	93,548
Manufacturing	31,693	10.8	71,708
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	81	0.0	87,256
Other Services (except Public Administration)	7,077	2.4	46,540
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	21,485	7.3	87,308
Public Administration	7,535	2.6	57,616
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	4,143	1.4	58,500
Retail Trade	30,485	10.4	38,584
Transportation and Warehousing	11,422	3.9	59,436
Utilities	890	0.3	71,760
Wholesale Trade	14,230	4.9	83,096
Total	292,366	100.0%	59,212

Education

School districts serving the county include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

• Anderson School District 2
• Greenville County School District
• Spartanburg County School District 1

Additionally, Greenville County has numerous public charter schools that are free to state residents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Greenville County Library System includes 11 libraries that provide meeting spaces, programs, books and other educational resources for county residents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The library system is managed by a board of trustees whose 11 members serve 4-year terms after appointment by the county council. Terms expire at the end of November in odd-numbered years, with half expiring every two years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2023, after some prior controversy, the library board voted to remove all themed displays from its facilities except those pertaining to paid holidays.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Healthcare

The Greenville Memorial Hospital was formerly operated by the municipal government, with Greenville Health System being the operating authority.<ref name=GreenvilleHA>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, Prisma Health began leasing the hospital and directly operating.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The GHA is the portion of the Greenville Health System that still existed after the hospital transitioned into being operated by Prisma.<ref name=GreenvilleHA/> The Greenville Health Authority (GHA) is the owner of the hospital facilities operated by Prisma. Members of the South Carolina Legislature select a majority of the seats of the board of directors of the GHA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Communities

In the past, Greenville County was partitioned into townships.<ref>Rootsweb: South Carolina Townships – Greenville County. Accessed February 8, 2022.</ref> Their former names and boundaries were used for United States census counting purposes and census documentation through 1960, after which census counting divisions were used. The 2010 Census lists six cities and 16 census designated places that are fully or partially within Greenville County.<ref name="2010 Census">See http://factfinder.census.gov Template:Webarchive [1] [2] for population numbers and for municipality and CDP lists in the 2010 Census.</ref>

Cities

• Fountain Inn (partly in Laurens County)
• Greenville (county seat and largest community)
• Greer (partly in Spartanburg County)
• Mauldin
• Simpsonville
• Travelers Rest

Census-designated places

• Berea
• Caesars Head
• City View
• Conestee
• Dunean
• Five Forks
• Gantt
• Golden Grove
• Judson
• Parker
• Piedmont (partly in Anderson County)
• Sans Souci
• Slater-Marietta
• Taylors
• The Cliffs Valley
• Tigerville
• Wade Hampton
• Ware Place
• Welcome

Other unincorporated communities

• Altamont
• Batesville
• Cleveland
• Gowensville<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• List of counties in South Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Greenville County, South Carolina

External links

• Template:Osmrelation
• Template:Official website
• Greenville County history and images