Upstate South Carolina

Last updated

Greenville–Spartanburg
Metropolitan Area
CSA
Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson, SC
Combined Statistical Area
Upstate South Carolina
Map of Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson, SC CSA
Country Flag of the United States.svg United States
State Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina
Principal cities
 - Greenville
 - Spartanburg
 - Anderson
 - Mauldin
 - Easley
 - Clemson
 - Gaffney
 - Greer
 - Greenwood
 - Seneca
Area
 • Total6,168 sq mi (15,980 km2)
 • Land6,008 sq mi (15,560 km2)
 • Water141 sq mi (370 km2)  2.2%
Population
 (2020)
 •  CSA
1,487,610 [1] (39th)
GDP
[2] [3]
 • MSA$57.403 billion (2022)
 • CSA$76.888 billion (2022)
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Area codes 864 and 821

The Upstate, historically known as the Upcountry, [4] is a region of the U.S. state of South Carolina, comprising the northwesternmost area of the state. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerce-rich I-85 corridor in the northwest corner of South Carolina. This definition coincided with the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area, as first defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2015. In 2023, the OMB issued its most updated definition of the CSA that coincides again with the 10-county region. [5]

Contents

The region's population was 1,487,610 as of 2020. Situated between Atlanta and Charlotte, the Upstate is the geographical center of the Charlanta megaregion. After BMW's initial investment, foreign companies, including others from Germany, have a substantial presence in the Upstate; several large corporations have established regional, national, or continental headquarters in the area. Greenville is the largest city in the region; it has a population of 72,227 and an urban-area population of 387,271, and it is the base of most commercial activity. Greer and Spartanburg are next in population.

Counties

Ten counties are included in the Upstate of South Carolina: Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, Greenwood, Laurens, Cherokee, Union, Abbeville.

Upstate South Carolina

County2021 Estimate2020 CensusChange
Greenville County 533,834525,534+1.58%
Spartanburg County 335,864327,997+2.40%
Anderson County 206,908203,718+1.57%
Pickens County 132,229131,404+0.63%
Oconee County 79,20378,607+0.76%
Greenwood County 69,24169,351−0.16%
Laurens County 67,80367,539+0.39%
Cherokee County 56,05256,216−0.29%
Union County 27,01627,244−0.84%
Abbeville County 24,29924,295+0.02%
Total1,532,4491,511,905+1.36%

Metropolitan, micropolitan, and combined statistical areas

As of 2023, the Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson CSA includes all ten counties in the Upstate. Within the CSA are a total of two metropolitan statistical areas and three micropolitan statistical areas. [5]

As of the 2020 Census, the Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson CSA had a population of 1,511,105.

MSACountyPopulation (2020) [6]
Greenville–Anderson Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, Laurens 928,195
Spartanburg Spartanburg, Union 355,241
Total:1,283,436
μSACountyPopulation (2020) [7]
Seneca Oconee 78,607
Greenwood Greenwood, Abbeville 93,646
Gaffney Cherokee 56,216
Total:228,469

Communities

The following population rankings are based on the 2010 Census. [8]

Primary cities

Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Greer, Mauldin, and Greenwood,

The OMB labels all these cities as principal cities in their respective MSAs and μSA. [5]

Other communities with more than 20,000 residents

Cities: Easley, Simpsonville

CDPs: Taylors, Wade Hampton

Communities with more than 10,000 residents

Cities: Clemson, Gaffney, and Fountain Inn, South Carolina.

Gaffney is a principal city in its μSA. If students from Clemson University are included, Clemson has close to 30,000 residents.

CDP's: Berea, Five Forks, Gantt, Parker, Boiling Springs

Communities with fewer than 10,000 residents

Communities in the Upstate with under 10,000 residents include:

Cities:

Towns:

Seneca is a principal city in its μSA. According to the 2010 Census, no town in the Upstate has a population greater than 6000.

CDPs:

Institutions of higher education

Clemson University Memorial Stadium Clemson's Memorial Stadium.jpg
Clemson University Memorial Stadium
Furman University Belltower Furman University - tower view.JPG
Furman University Belltower

The following table shows the major institutions of higher education in the Upstate.

NameTypeEnrollment
Anderson University Private Senior2,000
Bob Jones University Private Senior5,000
Clemson University Public Senior25,822
Converse College Private Senior1,938
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – CarolinasPrivate Professional600
Erskine College Private Senior750
Furman University Private Senior2,660
Greenville Technical College Public Technical14,338
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Private Professional
Lander University Public Senior3,000
Limestone College Private Senior3,000
North Greenville University Private Senior2,071
Piedmont Technical College Public Technical4,600
Presbyterian College Private Senior1,200
Sherman College of Chiropractic Private Professional200
Southern Wesleyan University Private Senior2,414
Spartanburg Methodist College Private Senior1,025
Spartanburg Community College Public Technical4,300
Tri-County Technical College Public Technical6,000
University Center – Greenville Public Two-YearN/A
University of South Carolina School of Medicine – GreenvillePublic Professional400
University of South Carolina-Upstate Public Senior4,851
University of South Carolina-Union Public Two-Year363
Wofford College Private Senior1,600

In 2008, U.S. News ranked Furman as the 37th-best liberal arts college, Wofford College as the 59th-best, and Presbyterian College as the 101st-best.[ citation needed ] Also, they ranked Clemson University as the 67th-best national university.[ citation needed ] According to the Bob Jones University, its Museum and Gallery constitutes the largest collection of religious art in the Western Hemisphere. [9]

Economy

The majority of business and commerce in the Upstate takes place in Greenville County. Greenville has the largest concentration of businesses and financial institutions in its downtown area. In fact, the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson MSA was ranked seventh in the nation by site consultants considering the top markets for economic development. Many financial institutions have regional offices located in downtown Greenville. These include Bank of America and the now-defunct Wachovia. Other major industries of commerce in the Upstate include the auto industry, which is concentrated mainly along the corridor between Greenville and Spartanburg around the BMW manufacturing facility in Greer.

The other major industry in the Upstate is the healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Greenville Hospital System and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System are the area's largest in the healthcare sector, while the pharmaceutical corporation of Bausch & Lomb has set up regional operations alongside smaller recently developed local companies such as IRIX Manufacturing and Pharmaceutical Associates. The Upstate is also home to a large number of private-sector and university-based research including R&D facilities for Michelin, Fuji, and GE Vernova and research centers to support the automotive, life sciences, plastics, and photonics industries. Clemson University, BMW, IBM, Microsoft, and Michelin have combined their resources to create Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, a research park that specializes in the development of automotive technology.

Corporations based in or with a major presence in the Upstate

These corporations have a major presence in the Upstate: Adidas, Advance America, Bank of America, BMW of North America, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System Bon Secours | Bringing Health Care and Good Help to Those in Need, Bosch North America, Denny's Restaurants, Dunlop Sport, Ernst & Young, Fluor Corporation, Freightliner, GE Vernova, Prisma Health , IBM, Kemet Corporation, Liberty Corporation, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Michelin of North America, Microsoft, Milliken & Company, Spartanburg Regional Health System, Spectrum Communications, SunTrust, Ovation Brands, Perrigo Company of South Carolina, Techtronic Industries, Toronto-Dominion Bank, and Verizon.

• BMW's only North American manufacturing plant is located in Spartanburg County, with an investment of $3.7 billion. [10]

• Fujifilm located their first manufacturing facility in the U.S. in Greenwood County. [11]

• Michelin North America's headquarters is located in Greenville, along with seven manufacturing plants, R&D facility, and test track located in the Upstate. Michelin employs more than 7,800 in South Carolina. [12]

• Walgreens has their southeastern distribution center located in Anderson County, which employs mentally disabled workers as nearly 40% of their workforce. [13]

Transportation

View of the Upcountry on I-26 from Polk County, NC, a short distance from the state line. View-from-interstate-26-scnc-border.jpg
View of the Upcountry on I-26 from Polk County, NC, a short distance from the state line.

The Upstate is served by two major interstate highways, I-85 and I-26. Other major interstate spurs include I-185, I-385, and I-585. The major airport in the region is Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, located nearly halfway between Greenville and Spartanburg in suburban Greer. Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Clemson, Pickens, Union, and Gaffney each have smaller airfields. Amtrak service along the Crescent Line stops in Spartanburg, Greenville, and Clemson.

Media

The Upstate region is served by three regional newspapers: The Greenville News , the (Spartanburg) Herald-Journal , and the Anderson Independent-Mail , each of which serves its individual city and surrounding area. The Post and Courier recently opened expansion newsrooms in Greenville and Spartanburg for coverage of the Upstate, including Clemson.

The Upstate is part of the vastly larger Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville designated market area, which extends into western North Carolina and northeastern Georgia. These television stations serve the region:

See also

Related Research Articles

In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the region. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be and are not legal administrative divisions like counties or separate entities such as states. As a result, sometimes the precise definition of a given metropolitan area will vary between sources. The statistical criteria for a standard metropolitan area were defined in 1949 and redefined as a metropolitan statistical area in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spartanburg County, South Carolina</span> County in South Carolina, United States

Spartanburg County is a county located on the northwestern border of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 327,997, making it the fifth-most populous county in South Carolina. Its county seat is Spartanburg. Spartanburg County is the largest county within the Spartanburg, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenville County, South Carolina</span> County in South Carolina, United States

Greenville County is located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 525,534, making it the most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Greenville. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson County, South Carolina</span> County in South Carolina, United States

Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 203,718. Its county seat is Anderson. Named for Revolutionary War leader Robert Anderson, the county is located in northwestern South Carolina, along the state line of Georgia. Anderson County is included in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Anderson County contains 55,950-acre (22,640 ha) Lake Hartwell, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake with nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of shoreline for residential and recreational use. The area is a growing industrial, commercial and tourist center. It is the home of Anderson University, a private, selective comprehensive university of approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 85</span> Interstate Highway across the southeastern US

Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond. It is nominally north–south as it carries an odd number, but it is physically oriented northeast–southwest and covers a larger east–west span than north–south. While most Interstates that end in a "5" are cross-country, I-85 is primarily a regional route serving five southeastern states: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th-most populous city in South Carolina. It is one of the principal cities in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 975,480 in 2023. It is included in the larger Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 1,590,636 in 2023. It is just off Interstate 85 and is 120 miles (190 km) from Atlanta and 140 miles (230 km) from Charlotte. Anderson is the smallest of the three primary cities that make up the Upstate region, and is nicknamed the "Electric City" and the "Friendliest City in South Carolina".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaffney, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Gaffney is a city in and the seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is known as the "Peach Capital of South Carolina". The population was 12,539 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population of 12,609 in 2019. It is the principal city of the Gaffney, South Carolina, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and which is further included in the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina Combined Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenville, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-most populous city in the state. The Greenville metropolitan area had 928,195 residents in 2020 and is the largest metro area in South Carolina. Greenville is the anchor city of Upstate South Carolina, an economic and cultural region with an estimated population of 1.59 million as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spartanburg, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina

Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) groups Spartanburg and Union counties together as the Spartanburg, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greer, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Greer is a city in the Greenville and Spartanburg counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,308, making it the 14th-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.

Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (μSA) across the 50 U.S. states and the territory of Puerto Rico that can demonstrate economic or social linkage. CSAs were first designated in 2003. OMB defines a CSA by various combinations of adjacent metropolitan and micropolitan areas with economic ties measured by commuting patterns. CSAs retain their own designations as metropolitan or micropolitan statistical areas in their respective larger combined statistical areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina (EDUSC) is a diocese in the Episcopal Church.

WORD, known on-air as "The Fan Upstate", is a sports-formatted AM radio station in the Greenville-Spartanburg area of Upstate South Carolina. The Audacy, Inc. outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to Spartanburg, South Carolina, and broadcasts with a power of 5,000 watts during the day and 65 watts at night using a non-directional antenna. The programming on WORD is simultaneously broadcast on WYRD 1330 AM Greenville; W249DL 97.7 MHz, Greenville; and W246CV 97.1 MHz, Spartanburg. "The Fan Upstate" format can also be heard on WFBC-FM HD3, Greenville. WORD's transmitter is located on the aptly named Broadcast Drive in Spartanburg, while its studios are in Greenville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area codes 864 and 821</span> Area codes in upstate South Carolina, United States

Area codes 864 and 821 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the western third of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The numbering plan area (NPA) comprises the areas of Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and twelve surrounding counties. Other cities in the 864/821 territory include Clemson, Gaffney, Greer, and Mauldin. It is largely coextensive with the Upstate region.

The U.S. State of South Carolina currently has 20 statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated four combined statistical areas, ten metropolitan statistical areas, and six micropolitan statistical areas in South Carolina. As of 2023, the largest of these is the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC CSA, comprising the area around Greenville in the state's Upcountry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrtle Beach metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan Statistical Area in South Carolina, United States

The Myrtle Beach metropolitan area is a census-designated metropolitan statistical area (MSA) consisting of Horry County in South Carolina. The wider Myrtle Beach combined statistical area (CSA), a trading area, includes adjacent Georgetown County, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 29 in South Carolina</span> Highway in South Carolina

U.S. Highway 29 (US 29) is a 110.202-mile (177.353 km) north–south United States Numbered Highway that travels from the Savannah River to Blacksburg, entirely in Upstate South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan Statistical Area in Alabama, United States

The Montgomery, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in central Alabama. As of 2020, the MSA had a population of 386,047, ranking it 142nd among United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas. That number is up +3.07% from the 2010 census number of 374,536.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia metropolitan area, South Carolina</span> Combined Statistical Area in South Carolina, United States

As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, is an area consisting of six counties in central South Carolina, anchored by the city of Columbia. The current population has an estimation of 837,092. It is the second-largest metropolitan statistical area in the state of South Carolina, since the Anderson metropolitan statistical area was combined with Greenville's following the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States

The Charlotte metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as Metrolina, is a metropolitan area of the U.S. states of North and South Carolina, containing the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Gastonia, Concord, Huntersville, and Rock Hill as well as the large suburban area in the counties surrounding Mecklenburg County, which is at the center of the metro area. Located in the Piedmont, it is the largest metropolitan area in the Carolinas, and the fourth largest in the Southeastern United States. The Charlotte metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States.

References

  1. ↑ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2022" . Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data . Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  3. ↑ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Spartanburg, SC (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data . Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  4. ↑ Hollis, Daniel Walker, University of South Carolina, Volume I, South Carolina College, 1951. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, p. 342
  5. 1 2 3 "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01, Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2022" . Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2022" . Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  8. ↑ See http://factfinder.census.gov for population numbers and for municipality and CDP lists.
  9. ↑ "Home". Museum & Gallery. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Plant Spartanburg".
  11. ↑ FUJIFILM Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. "Fujifilm [United States]". fujifilm.com. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  12. ↑ "North America". Michelin. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ Tom Andel. (August 8, 2007). How disabled workers enable Walgreens distribution Modern Materials Handling Archived July 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

34°43′N82°11′W / 34.717°N 82.183°W / 34.717; -82.183

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