Greenville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Greenville
Anderson
Opportunity
82 · Top 6%
vs62 · Top 37%
Growth
67 · Top 21%
vs80 · Top 5%
Climate
70 · Bottom 48%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
64 · Top 44%
vs64 · Top 45%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs66 · Bottom 28%
Schools
69 · Top 27%
vs72 · Top 24%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 42%
vs38 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Greenville | Anderson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 72,935 | 30,051 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,472 | $46,933 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,929 | $29,386 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,407/sq mi | 1,877/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $487,500 | $218,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,312 | $975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.1% | 51.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.9% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.5% | 28.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 642 | 281 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.8 | 9.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.7% | 9.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.0" | 46.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.5 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 32.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 24 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.57 | 15.05 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.9% | 52.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 53.5% | 51.6% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Greenville
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
Anderson
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Greenville
71
Your Score
70
Area Score
Anderson
68
Your Score
68
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Greenville, SC · Anderson, SC · How this is calculated: methodology