Fountain Inn, SC — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·South Carolina·Fountain Inn

Greenville County · Greenville-Anderson · population 13,786

Growing fastSmall-town feel
View watchlist →
75
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Fountain Inn stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 7.3% per year. rents up 6.5% in the last year.

Median home $307,970
1-year +1.4%
5-yr CAGR +5.3%
vs 5-yr peak -0.1%
Population +7.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-06$308k$155k$210k$266k$321k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
68/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,992/mo$1,632$1,872$2,11220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10211110020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 12.9
Buy

At a 12.9 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Fountain Inn on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 12.9 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
57 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
66 · w22%
Distance from peak
89 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
70 · w10%
Long thesis

Fountain Inn has been growing population at 7.3% per year while home values compounded +5.3% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

Fountain Inn's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Fountain Inn

Fountain Inn is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, with an estimated population of 13,786. It anchors the Greenville-Anderson metro area. The population has grown 7.3% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Fountain Inn is $307,970 as of 2026-04, up 1.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Fountain Inn average $1,992 per month, up 6.5% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 75 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

People are voting with their feet: population growing 7.3% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
Healthy 5-year run: +5.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
Held the highs: currently -0.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
Hot rental market: rents up 6.5% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Greenville County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Greenville County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Fountain Inn

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
57° / 36°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
91° / 71°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
220
~60% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
2″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
High
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Fountain Inn listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Greenville-Anderson area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$63,600
South Carolina state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)TourismHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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