A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Spartanburg | |
|---|---|
 Top, left to right: Spartanburg skyline, Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Wofford College, Daniel Morgan Monument, Chapman Cultural Center | |
 Seal  Logo | |
| Nickname(s): The Hub City, Sparkle City, The Burg | |
| Motto: "Always Doing" | |
 Location in South Carolina | |
| Coordinates: 34°56′48″N 81°55′39″W / 34.94667°N 81.92750°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Carolina |
| County | Spartanburg |
| Founded | 1787[1] |
| Incorporated | 1831 |
| Named for | The Spartan Regiment[2] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jerome Rice[3] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20.37 sq mi (52.75 km2) |
| • Land | 20.25 sq mi (52.46 km2) |
| • Water | 0.11 sq mi (0.29 km2) 0.54% |
| Elevation | 797 ft (243 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 38,732 |
| • Estimate (2023) | 39,040 |
| • Rank | 11th in South Carolina |
| • Density | 1,912.41/sq mi (738.37/km2) |
| • Urban | 196,943 (US: 198th) |
| • Urban density | 1,088.1/sq mi (420.1/km2) |
| • Metro | 383,327 (US: 144th) |
| Demonym | Spartans |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Codes | 29301–29307 |
| Area code | 864 |
| FIPS code | 45-68290 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1250982[5] |
| Website | www |
Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States.[9] The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state.[10] For a time, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) grouped Spartanburg and Union counties together as the Spartanburg, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, but the OMB now defines the Spartanburg, SC MSA as only Spartanburg County.[11]
Spartanburg is the second-largest city in the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 1,590,636 in 2023.[8] It is part of a ten-county region of northwestern South Carolina known as "The Upstate", and is located 98 miles (158 km) northwest of Columbia, 80 miles (130 km) west of Charlotte, North Carolina, and about 190 miles (310 km) northeast of Atlanta, Georgia.
Spartanburg is the home of Wofford College, Converse University, Spartanburg Community College, and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and the area is home to USC Upstate, Sherman College of Chiropractic and Spartanburg Methodist College. It is also the site of headquarters for Denny's.
History
Spartanburg was formed in 1785, after a deal was made with the Cherokee in 1753, and was named after a local militia called the Spartan Regiment in the American Revolutionary War. The Spartan Regiment, commanded by Andrew Pickens, participated in the nearby Battle of Cowpens. In 1831, Spartanburg was incorporated, later becoming known as the "Hub City"; railroad lines radiated from the city forming the shape of a wheel hub.
It became a center of textile manufacturing in the late 19th century, with around 40 textile mills being established through the early 1900s.
In 1911, under the sponsorship of the Spartanburg Herald and the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the city erected a confederate monument at the intersection of South Church and Henry Streets, overlooking downtown.[12] It was moved in 1966 to Duncan Park.[13]
During World War I, Camp Wadsworth was used to train 100,000 soldiers for the war. Camp Croft trained soldiers during World War II. The facility was transferred to the state and adapted as Croft State Park.
By the 1950s, the production in these mills began to decline as wages increased. Most textile manufacturing jobs were moved offshore by the companies.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.37 square miles (52.8 km2), of which 20.25 square miles (52.4 km2) is land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km2) (0.54%) is water.[4] The most common soil series is Cecil.[14] The bedrock is mostly biotite gneiss.[15]
Climate
The city of Spartanburg has a humid subtropical climate with long, hot, and humid summers, and cool to semimild winters. The average annual temperature is 61.6 °F (16.4 °C). In the summer from June through September, average highs are in the 80s °F (20s °C) to low 90s °F (30s °C), while in the winter, average highs are in the mid-50s °F (10s °C). Annual rainfall is spread fairly evenly throughout the whole year. Spartanburg receives very little snowfall, with the annual average being only 1.4 inches (3.6 cm). Average precipitation is 51.3 inches (130 cm) and the average growing season is 231 days.
| Climate data for Spartanburg, South Carolina (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1983–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
82 (28) |
90 (32) |
94 (34) |
96 (36) |
102 (39) |
106 (41) |
106 (41) |
98 (37) |
99 (37) |
84 (29) |
80 (27) |
106 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 54.1 (12.3) |
58.5 (14.7) |
66.0 (18.9) |
74.8 (23.8) |
81.0 (27.2) |
87.0 (30.6) |
90.1 (32.3) |
88.3 (31.3) |
83.4 (28.6) |
74.4 (23.6) |
63.8 (17.7) |
55.8 (13.2) |
73.1 (22.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.8 (6.0) |
46.1 (7.8) |
52.9 (11.6) |
61.1 (16.2) |
68.5 (20.3) |
75.8 (24.3) |
79.3 (26.3) |
78.1 (25.6) |
72.5 (22.5) |
61.7 (16.5) |
51.1 (10.6) |
44.7 (7.1) |
61.2 (16.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.5 (−0.3) |
33.8 (1.0) |
39.8 (4.3) |
47.3 (8.5) |
56.0 (13.3) |
64.6 (18.1) |
68.6 (20.3) |
67.8 (19.9) |
61.6 (16.4) |
49.0 (9.4) |
38.4 (3.6) |
33.6 (0.9) |
49.3 (9.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −5 (−21) |
6 (−14) |
12 (−11) |
22 (−6) |
29 (−2) |
37 (3) |
51 (11) |
46 (8) |
35 (2) |
23 (−5) |
13 (−11) |
0 (−18) |
−5 (−21) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.34 (110) |
3.77 (96) |
4.81 (122) |
4.29 (109) |
3.92 (100) |
4.58 (116) |
3.97 (101) |
4.56 (116) |
3.65 (93) |
3.93 (100) |
3.72 (94) |
4.70 (119) |
50.24 (1,276) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.8 (2.0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.3 | 8.2 | 9.5 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 8.4 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 7.1 | 9.1 | 98.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Source: NOAA[16][17] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,176 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,216 | 3.4% | |
| 1870 | 1,080 | −11.2% | |
| 1880 | 3,253 | 201.2% | |
| 1890 | 5,544 | 70.4% | |
| 1900 | 11,395 | 105.5% | |
| 1910 | 17,517 | 53.7% | |
| 1920 | 22,638 | 29.2% | |
| 1930 | 28,723 | 26.9% | |
| 1940 | 32,249 | 12.3% | |
| 1950 | 36,795 | 14.1% | |
| 1960 | 44,352 | 20.5% | |
| 1970 | 44,546 | 0.4% | |
| 1980 | 43,826 | −1.6% | |
| 1990 | 43,467 | −0.8% | |
| 2000 | 39,673 | −8.7% | |
| 2010 | 37,013 | −6.7% | |
| 2020 | 38,732 | 4.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 39,040 | [10] | 0.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] 2020[19][6] | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 17,076 | 44.09% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 16,945 | 43.75% |
| Native American | 67 | 0.17% |
| Asian | 787 | 2.03% |
| Pacific Islander | 64 | 0.17% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,513 | 3.91% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,280 | 5.89% |
As of the 2020 census, 38,732 people, 15,154 households, and 8,638 families resided in the city.
2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 37,013 people, 15,989 households, and 9,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,066.3 inhabitants per square mile (797.8/km2). The 17,696 housing units had an average density of 923.9 per square mile (356.7/km2). The racial makeup was 49.55% African American, 47.15% White, 0.18% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.82% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.78% of the population.
Of the 15,989 households, 28.9% had children under 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were not families. About 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the age distribution was 25.2% under 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,735, and for a family was $36,108. Males had a median income of $30,587 versus $23,256 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,136. About 29.4% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.6% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Within the past decade, developers and community leaders have spearheaded an effort to revitalize Spartanburg's downtown commercial district. This has resulted in a remodeling of Morgan Square, the restoration of a number of historic structures and the relocation of several businesses and company headquarters to the downtown vicinity. These new developments include a nine-floor, 240-room Marriott hotel.
Spartanburg is home to many large companies, including Denny's, KYMCO, Smith Drug Company, Advance America Cash Advance, Southern Conference, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, RJ Rockers Brewing Company, American Credit Acceptance, and Upward Sports.
The economy of Spartanburg benefits from the BMW manufacturing facility located in the city of Greer, South Carolina, which is in Spartanburg County. As of February 2017, the plant employed around 8,800 people with an average daily output of about 1,400 vehicles.
Spartanburg is also home to the world headquarters and research facility for Milliken & Company, a textile and chemical manufacturer.
Top employers
According to Spartanburg's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[21] the principal employers in the city are: