Spartanburg, SC — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·South Carolina·Spartanburg

Spartanburg County · Spartanburg · population 39,606

First-time buyers
Spartanburg, SC
Image: Wikipedia · Spartanburg, South Carolina
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Spartanburg stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $234,899
1-year +2.4%
5-yr CAGR +6.8%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$235k$98k$147k$196k$244k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
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
$1,347/mo$978$1,203$1,428202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent139129100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 14.5
Buy

At a 14.5 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Spartanburg on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 14.5 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
62 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
73 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
56 · w16%
Rent YoY
51 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
83 · w10%
Long thesis

Spartanburg has held up across the cycle: home values at $234,899 with +6.8% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Spartanburg'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 Spartanburg

Spartanburg is a city in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, with an estimated population of 39,606. The population grew 0.6% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Spartanburg is $234,899 as of 2026-04, up 2.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.8% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Spartanburg average $1,347 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.9%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $234,899 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.8% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.4% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

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

About Spartanburg (Wikipedia)

Spartanburg, also known as "Sparkle City", is a city in and the county 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.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

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 Spartanburg County right now.

NWS active alerts (SC)South Carolina Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

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

Neighborhoods of Spartanburg

9 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Converse Heights$411,178+4.3%
2Downtown$272,039+0.8%
3Hillcrest$221,066+1.2%
4Duncan Park$215,724+1.5%
5Hampton Heights$195,153-2.3%
6South Converse$153,606+8.9%
7Forest Park$143,609-5.3%
8Historic Beaumont Village$133,207-1.1%
9Washington Heights$117,809-4.2%

Cities like Spartanburg

Florence, SC68 · RisingClemson, SC74 · RisingGreenville, SC69 · RisingCayce, SC68 · Rising

Run the numbers for Spartanburg

ToolCan I afford Spartanburg?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Spartanburg rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Spartanburg to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSpartanburg cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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 Spartanburg listings on the major real-estate sites.

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

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Spartanburg 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.

Cities similar to Spartanburg

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