GREENVILLE COUNTY 5/14/12
Date Formed:  1786 Greenville,Greenville,Greenville
Land Area (square miles): 790
County Seat: Greenville
Other Cities and Towns: Fountain Inn, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Travelers Rest
Form of Government: Council-Administrator
Council Members: 12
Method of Election Single Member
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Appalachian
County History
The origins of the name Greenville County are uncertain, but the county was probably named for Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene (1742-1786) or for an early resident, Isaac Green. This part of the state was the territory of the Cherokee Indians until 1777. Scotch-Irish and English settlers began moving into the area soon after it was ceded to the state. Greenville District was created in 1786, but from 1791 to 1800 it was part of the larger Washington District. The county seat was originally named Pleasantburg, but in 1831 the name was changed to Greenville. Because of its location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville County became a popular summer retreat for lowcountry planters. Encouraged by abundant streams and rivers, textile manufacturers began operating in the area as early as the 1820s, and after the Civil War Greenville County became a textile center. Diplomat and U.S. Congressman Waddy Thompson (1798-1868) was a resident of Greenville, and in more recent years the county has produced baseball player "Shoeless Joe" Jackson (1887-1951), Nobel Prize winner Charles Townes, and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Census Population 1990 320,167 1 Numeric Change Census 1990-2010 131,058 1
Census Population 2000 379,616 1 Numeric Change Pop. Est. 2010-2011 8,036 1
Census Population 2010 451,225 1 Percent Change Pop. Est. 2010-2011 1.7% 5
Population Estimate 2010 453,263 1 Persons Per Square Mile 571.2 1
Population Estimate 2011 461,299 1
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 2010 247,639 1 Personal Income 2010, in thousands $16,510,427 1
Jobs 2009 245,955 1 Per Capita Personal Income  2010 $36,426 4
Jobs 2008 247,639 1 % of U.S. Per Capita PI 2010 91% 4
Avg. Ann. Growth Rate Jobs 1990-2010 1.0% 9 Average Wage Per Job 2010 $41,880 7
Percent Change Jobs 2009-2010 0.7% 6 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2010 89% 7
Numeric Change Jobs 2009-2010 1,684 3 Unemployment Rate 2011 8.1% 44
Tax Data Value Value
Assessed Property 2010 $2,087,977,468 Per Capita Assessed Property 2010 $4,627
County Base Millage Rate 2011 0.0612 Additional Sales Tax, if applicable
Value of One Mil 2011 $1,864,750 Local Option Sales Tax  
Net Taxable Sales FY10 $5,477,840,655 Capital Projects Sales Tax  
Admissions Tax Collected FY10 $2,661,658 School District Sales Tax  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY10 $2,005,649 Transportation Sales Tax  
County Finance & Employment Data Value
Total Revenues FY10 $203,663,087 Value
Total Expenditures FY10 $190,810,653 Per Capita Revenues FY10 $451
General Fund Budget FY12 $129,911,539 Per Capita Expenditures FY10 $423
Total Debt Outstanding FY11 $89,600,000 Per Capita Gen. Fund Budget FY12 $288
Payroll FY12 $74,321,725 Per Capita Debt Outstanding FY11 $200
Full-Time Employees FY12 1,662 Credit Rating(s) FY11
Part-Time Employees FY12 242 Moody's: Aaa
Full-Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents 3.68 Standard & Poor: AAA
Fitch: AAA