Population: 8,486
Population in 2010: 4,576
Median income: $36,495
Mayor: Brandy Amidon
City Council:
Grant Bumgarner, At Large
Kelly Byers, At Large
Shaniece Criss, At Large
Lisa Lane, At Large
Sherry Marrah, At Large
Wayne McCall, At Large
Brantly Vest, At Large
Catherine Stanford James, At Large
Big number: Out of the 3,548 people in Travelers Rest’s working population, 64% are in the service industry.
Fast fact: The top industries in Travelers Rest are education, accommodations and food services, and retail.
Business history:
As the name suggests, the city of Travelers Rest originated as a rest area for travelers. In the late 1800s, the creation of the Carolina, Knoxville and Western railroad — later named the Greenville & Northern — brought new businesses and people to the town.
The city’s beginnings in the textile industry started in 1928 with the creation of Brandon Mills at Renfrew Bleachery. More production plants were established in Travelers Rest following World War II.
A stream of new businesses and people continued to settle in the Travelers Rest area after the introduction of two highways, U.S. 25 and U.S. 276. In the early 2000s, the Greenville & Northern Railway track was converted to the multiuse Swamp Rabbit Trail. This sparked an economic resurgence in Travelers Rest and helped to expand the city’s tourism industry.
What’s next:
Travelers Rest has steadily attracted more businesses and residents. Downtown remains a hub of retail and restaurants with new businesses including Coastal Crust setting up shop.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail continues to bring new customers to the various businesses. To continue this impact, the city adopted new building standards for the downtown area that require buildings to address the trail and have trail orientation.
The city plans to complete infrastructure and street improvements in 2024 to further expand Main Street and continue business opportunities north of Poinsett Highway.
Multiple development projects will also help to establish new commercial centers throughout Travelers Rest. For example, the Pinestone development located east of Main Street will renovate old warehouses into a commercial food hall.
Sources
United States Census Bureau
City of Travelers Rest
