Population: 42,090
Population in 2010: 25,515
Median income: $67,536
Mayor: Rick Danner
City Council:
Jay Arrowood, District 1
Karuiam Booker, District 2
Mark Hopper, District 3
Lee Dumas, District 4
Wryley Bettis, District 5
Judy Albert, District 6
Big number: 40 — The number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Greer Station, the city’s 12-block central business district.
Fast fact: Of BMW Manufacturing’s $11 billion investment in the state since 1993, $125 million went to a vehicle-accessory center and the LCX logistics center within Greer’s city limits.
Business history: Greer got its start as a railroad and market town in the 1800s, and rail continues to play a vital role in the city’s economic success and vibrancy.
While textiles provided important jobs for the community for decades, the arrival of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in the 1960s, automotive giant BMW in the 1990s and Inland Port Greer in the 2010s helped cement the city’s place at the center of the Upstate’s manufacturing and logistics sectors.
Significant investments in downtown, including a new city hall and events center in 2008, have made the city a popular destination for shopping, dining and the numerous events that regularly take place in Greer City Park and surrounding City Hall.
Due to its central location and proximity to some of the region’s top employers, Greer is experiencing a population boom and rapid development of new housing and commercial projects.
What’s next: The city continues to be one of the fastest-growing communities in South Carolina due to its geography, high quality of life and strong sense of community identity.
BMW, GSP and Inland Port Greer – which are not themselves in the city, but are surrounded by city limits – continue to act as powerful magnets for both new residents and new commercial ventures. The rapid influx of population is driving a housing boom, and Greer’s leaders are navigating the challenge of where to put all those new arrivals.
To that end, the city has begun a comprehensive overhaul of its development code to more thoughtfully guide infill development while preserving the city’s unique and welcoming downtown.
With more than 35 global companies doing business inside the city and dozens more in its immediate vicinity, Greer expects to continue drawing global commerce to set up shop within its orbit.
With growing cargo capacity at GSP and almost weekly increases in the number of containers moving through the inland port, logistics and warehousing will continue to be an important driver in the city’s growth and success.
