Rankings

Favorable Business Climate

• #1 Best Cities for Jobs this Spring
  Forbes Magazine, 2012
• American Cities of the Future (Micro Cities Category) - #1 Overall, #2 Economic Potential, #3 Foreign Direct Investment Strategy
  fDi Magazine, 2011/2012
• 10 Fastest Growing U.S. Cities
  CNN Money, 2012
• #13 Best Cities for Young Professionals
  Forbes Magazine, 2011
• #21 Best Cities for Jobs
  The Daily Beast, 2012
• 10 Cities Virtually Untouched by the Housing Bust
  CNBC.com, 2011
• #3 Strongest Job Market
  Bloomberg Businessweek, 2010
• #3 Best State for Economic Growth Potential, #5 Best State for Business Climate
  Business Facilities, 2011
• 7th Best State for Business
  Chief Executive, 2012
• ...Greenville is the Knowledge Economy's Next Big Thing
  Fast Company, 2012
• South Carolina ranked among the nation's best locations for “Economic Growth Potential” (#1), “Wind Energy Manufacturing Leaders” (#2), “Automotive Manufacturing Strength” (#3), and “Best Business Climate” (#4)
  Business Facilities 2010
• South Carolina is #4 in the Top 10 rankings of Pro-Business States
  Pollina Corporate Real Estate, 2010
• Greenville ranked #1 among “micro cities of the future,” which includes cities with a population under 100,000 residents.
  fDi Magazine’s “2009/2010 North American Cities of the Future”
• Nations #1 Metro for Economic Growth Potential
  Business Facilities, August 2009
• South Carolina came in as one of the Top 10 Best States for Business
  Chief Executive Magazine poll of CEO's, 2010
• South Carolina's workforce was ranked 5th in the nation; 8th best for access to transportation in all its modes; and 6th best for the cost of doing business
  CNBC America’s Top States for Business, 2010
• Greenville Metro ranked #46 Best Place for Business and Careers
  Forbes Magazine, December 2009
• Top 10 Metro Areas for Drug and Pharmaceutical Industry
  Business Facilities, August 2009
• Greenville has the second best favorable tax structure for businesses among mid-sized U.S. metropolitan areas
  KPMG’s 2008 Competitive Alternatives: Focus on Tax Study
  
• Greenville ranked #5 in a list of “Affordable Places to Weather a Downturn”             
  Forbes.com,  2008
• The Greenville Metropolitan area ranks within the top 10 percent of total U.S. engineering employment concentration
  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007

Cost of Living

• Affordable Quality of Life – 90.1
  ACCRA Index Annual Average for 2010
• Top 10 Most Affordable Cities for 2010 (City of Greenville)
  Relocate America
• Greenville Metro ranked #19 in the Healthiest Housing Markets in 2010
  Builder Magazine, March 2010
  
• Greenville Metro ranked #20 in America’s Best-Bang-for-Your-Buck Cities
  Forbes Magazine, December 2009
• Top 10 Retirement Cities for 2010 (City of Greenville)
  Relocate America
• Greenville ranked 34th in lowest cost of living                                                      
  Kiplinger’s “Best Cities 2009”

Education

• 8 of 15 Greenville County Public High Schools in Top 6% Nationally
  Newsweek Magazine, 2010
• 562 Greenville County teachers are National Board Certified Teachers, more than 29 states (2010)
• Clemson ranked as 22nd Best National Public University                                                      
  US News & World Report

Quality of Life

• Best Places to Live: Top 18 Coolest Towns in America                         
  Men's Journal, 2011
• #6 Top 100 Places to Live
  Relocate-America.com, 2011
  
• Greenville Named "Playful City USA Community"
  kaBOOM!, 2011
• Artisphere International Arts Festival - Top 20 Events in the Southeast
  Southeast Tourism Society, 2011
  
• Best Small Cities for Cycling
  Bicycling Magazine, 2012
• Falls Park Among "Best City Parks"
  US Airways Magazine, 2011
  
• America's Best Downtowns
  Forbes Magazine, 2011
• America's Greatest Main Streets
  Travel & Leisure, 2012
• Greenville Metro ranked #2 on the list of "Best Places to Live a Simple Life"                         
  AARP Magazine, 2009
  
• Greenville ranked 189th for “Bohemian indicator” – concentration of writers, designers, musicians, actors and other artistic personnel                         
  Kiplinger’s “Best Cities 2009”
• Greenville Memorial Hospital has been ranked among the nation’s top 50 hospitals in five specialties – Diabetes and Endocrine Disorders (#25), Digestive Disorders (#30) Heart & Heart Surgery (#43), Neurology & Neurosurgery (#44) and Orthopedics (#49)
  U.S. News' 2009-10 publication of America’s Best Hospitals (2009)
• Greenville’s Art Weekends ranked #46 out of 600 Fine Art Shows
  Lawler’s Art Fair Sourcebook
• Artisphere - one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast
  Southeast Tourism Society, December 2009
• Downtown Greenville Great American Main Street Award
  National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Greenville’s Main Street Named Great American Street
  American Planning Association, October 2009
• Greenville ranks as one of the five best towns for living and bike riding
  Bike Magazine