Simpsonville | |
|---|---|
 From top, left to right: Downtown Simpsonville, former Simpsonville City Hall,Simpsonville Baptist Church,Simpsonville Clock Tower | |
 Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "Simply Home" | |
 Location of Simpsonville, South Carolina | |
| Coordinates:34°44′32″N82°15′06″W / 34.74222°N 82.25167°W /34.74222; -82.25167[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Greenville |
| Area | |
• City | 9.45 sq mi (24.47 km2) |
| • Land | 9.42 sq mi (24.41 km2) |
| • Water | 0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 873 ft (266 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 23,354 |
| • Density | 2,477.5/sq mi (956.56/km2) |
| • Urban | 159,506 (US: 227th)[3] |
| • Urban density | 1,576/sq mi (608.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 29680-29681 |
| Area codes | 864, 821 |
| FIPS code | 45-66580[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2405467[1] |
| Website | www |
Simpsonville is a city inGreenville County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of theGreenville, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 23,354 at the2020 census, up from 18,238 in the2010 census.[6] Simpsonville is part of the "Golden Strip", along withMauldin andFountain Inn, an area which is noted for having low unemployment due to a diversity of industries includingH.B. Fuller,KEMET,Sealed Air andMilliken. It is the23rd-most populous city in South Carolina.
Simpsonville is named after Peter Simpson, a farmer from Laurens County who provided blacksmithing services and became the localpostmaster.[7][8]
TheBurdette Building,Cureton-Huff House,Hopkins Farm, andSimpsonville Baptist Church are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[9]
The oldest brick building in the city is a former pharmacy built in 1886 at 101 East Curtis Street. The Woodside Mill, central to the local economy in the early 1900s, includes an antique water tower.[10]
TheSimpsonville Clock Tower was built in 1987 and is the city's main landmark.[11]
In October 2018, a winning lottery ticket for a $1.6 billionMega Millions jackpot was sold at the #7 KC Mart in Simpsonville.[12]
Simpsonville is located in southeastern Greenville County between Mauldin to the northwest and Fountain Inn to the southeast. The center of town has an elevation of 866 feet (264 m) above sea level.
South Carolina Highway 14 runs through the center of Simpsonville as Main Street, leading north 16 miles (26 km) toGreer and southeast 5 miles (8 km) to the center of Fountain Inn. The center of Mauldin is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to the northwest viaSouth Carolina Highway 417.Interstate 385 passes through Simpsonville west of the city center, with access from exits 26 through 29. I-385 leads northwest 14 miles (23 km) to the center ofGreenville and southeast 28 miles (45 km) toInterstate 26 nearClinton.Columbia, the state capital, is 89 miles (143 km) southeast of Simpsonville.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Simpsonville has a total area of 8.90 square miles (23.05 km2), of which 8.70 square miles (22.53 km2) are land and 0.02 square miles (0.052 km2), or 0.22%, are water.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 195 | — | |
| 1910 | 521 | 167.2% | |
| 1920 | 566 | 8.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,400 | 147.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,298 | −7.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,529 | 17.8% | |
| 1960 | 2,282 | 49.2% | |
| 1970 | 3,308 | 45.0% | |
| 1980 | 9,037 | 173.2% | |
| 1990 | 11,708 | 29.6% | |
| 2000 | 14,352 | 22.6% | |
| 2010 | 18,238 | 27.1% | |
| 2020 | 23,354 | 28.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 28,078 | [6] | 20.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 2020[4] | |||
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| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 14,810 | 63.42% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 4,320 | 18.5% |
| Native American | 54 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 463 | 1.98% |
| Pacific Islander | 20 | 0.09% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,191 | 5.1% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 2,496 | 10.69% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 23,354 people, 8,464 households, and 6,104 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,732.9 people per square mile (916.2 per km2). There were 9,044 housing units at an average density of 1,016.2 per square mile (392.2 per km2). 24.1% of the population was under 18, and 14.4% of the population was over 65. 51.3% of the population was female.[15]
The median annual income for a household in the city was $71,990, and theper capita income was $32,821. 5.4% of the population were below thepoverty line.[6]
Simpsonville's 2006 crime statistics were higher than national average crime rates. Violent crimes in 2010 totalled 82 for the year.[16] 2006 statistics of violent crime in Simpsonville reflect there was not one murder, reported incidents of rape were slightly higher than the national average (39 per 100,000 in Simpsonville, with a national average of 33 per 100,000), and incidents of aggravated assaults were what tipped the 2006 violent crime scales, tallying in at 75% over the national average.[17] In 2007 the personal crime incidents rate tallied in at 6 per 1000 residents, while the national average was 1.3 per 1000.[18] In September 2007, theFBI reported that the state of South Carolina's violent crime rate was the highest in the nation per capita, although Simpsonville is not mentioned at all in the article.[19] Simpsonville car theft in 2006 was lower than the national average,[17] calling into question claims that Simpsonville had a high rate of car-jackings.
In 2017, Simpsonville was named the safest city in South Carolina, based on FBI Crime Report data gathered by the SafeWise security organization;[20] its ranking as of 2021 is 15th.[21]
The Simpsonville Police Department was founded in 1907 and its first police chief was hired in 1928. Citizen-based programs were added in 2014 that provide opportunities for civilians to work alongside police officers.[22] The current chief of police is Michael D. Hanshaw.[23]
The Simpsonville Fire Department was formed in 1922. Fire protection was supported by annual contract fees until the mid-1980s when a tax system was adopted instead. Protection is provided to citizens within Simpsonville's city limits and some parts of surrounding Greenville County via six fire stations within a district of about 30 square miles (78 km2).[24] The department's current fire chief is Wesley Williams.[25]
Simpsonville is governed by acity council, consisting of amayor and six council members, one from each city ward. The city also has several boards and commissions to advise the council and complete assigned tasks. The council is elected in November of odd years to staggered four-year terms.[26][27] The current council includes:[28]
The city council appoints a city administrator, who serves at their pleasure, to work with them in the proper administration of the city's policies and affairs. The council also appoints a city clerk, city treasurer, and city attorney, who serve indefinite terms at the pleasure of City Council.[30] The current city officers include:[31]
Public education in Simpsonville is administered byGreenville County School District.[36] The district operates five schools in Simpsonville.Hillcrest High School, Hillcrest Middle School, Bryson Middle School, Simpsonville Elementary School, and Plain Elementary School.
Abiding Peace Academy is a K2-5 grade school of theWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Simpsonville.[37]
Simpsonville has apublic library, a branch of the Greenville County Library System.[38]
Simpsonville'sCCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park, named for sponsor Coastal Carolina National Bank, is an outdoor entertainment venue with seating for up to 15,000. It has hosted performers and community events since 2005.[39]
The Simpsonville Arts Center hosts performing arts by the Mill Town Players ofPelzer. Renovation of the center was completed in February 2022.[40][41][42]
TheWomen's American Basketball Association established a team based in Simpsonville to begin its first season in July 2021. Home games for the Carolina Upstate Thunder are to be played in Greenville.[43][44]
The Simpsonville Sentinel is the local area newspaper, published monthly.[45] The news websitePatch also has a Simpsonville edition.[46]
Simpsonville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-AshevilleDMA television market. Local television stations include:
Simsponville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Arbitron Metro radio market. StationWYRD-FM is licensed in and transmits from Simpsonville. Other local radio stations include:
Ashley Clark was appointed as Simpsonville's new city clerk and replaces Phyllis Long, who is retiring from the city at the end of 2022 and has served in the role for almost a decade. Clark also serves as an administrative judge with the city.
Municipalities and communities ofGreenville County, South Carolina,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
