Are Greenville Prices Going Up More Quickly Than Other Cities?

When national headlines shout about bidding wars and record-breaking home values, it’s natural for upstate homeowners and would-be buyers to wonder: is Greenville accelerating as fast as other hot markets—or is its trajectory different? In a recent episode of Selling Greenville, the host stacked Greenville’s 2021 appreciation against dozens of major metros, unpacked why the Upstate behaves differently, and explored what that could mean for 2022 and beyond. The short version: Greenville rose fast last year, but not as fast as many peers, and there are solid reasons why.

Greenville Prices vs Other Cities

Greenville Prices vs. Other Cities: Let’s start with the scoreboard. Using Greater Greenville Association of Realtors (GGAR) data for the broader Greenville market (think Greenville plus spillover activity that often includes portions of Anderson, Pickens, Spartanburg, Greenwood, and beyond via the Greenville MLS), the median sales price climbed about 20–21% in 2021. Roughly speaking, the region moved from the $240k range at the end of 2020 to around $287k by the close of 2021.

Strong? Absolutely. But when stacked next to the year’s biggest gainers, Greenville’s pace looks measured.

• Austin, TX, took the crown with a staggering 44.6% jump (from $377k to $545k).

• Fort Myers, FL, surged 35.8% (from $258k to $351k).

• North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton, FL, jumped 35.5% (from $302k to $409k).

• Boise, ID rose 33% (from $376k to $501k).

• Phoenix, AZ, climbed 31.8% (from $324k to $427k).

• Ogden, UT, advanced 31% (from $374k to $491k).

• Raleigh, NC, increased 30.7% (from $305k to $399k).

• Provo, UT, gained 29.8% (from $415k to $539k).

• Tampa, FL rose 29.7% (from $252k to $327k).

• Daytona Beach, FL, added 28.5% (from $239k to $307k).

Even within the Southeast, heavyweights outpaced Greenville. Atlanta notched 27.4% (from $265k to $338k). Nashville registered 27.1% (from $309k to $393k). Charlotte came in at 26.9% (from $264k to $336k). And on South Carolina’s coast, Charleston posted 23.3% (from $297k to $366k). Miami rounded out a national top-30 with 22.3%—still above the Upstate.

The takeaway is clear: Greenville prices vs other cities show a competitive, fast-moving market—but one that’s not sprinting at the extreme speeds seen in Austin, Boise, or Florida’s hottest corridors.

Why is Greenville’s curve a little calmer?

The episode offered a straightforward thesis: supply. Greenville has been more developer-friendly than many of its peers. When it’s easier and more economical for builders to bring a product to market, more homes appear on the MLS—especially compared to metros where entitlement timelines, fees, and hurdles slow construction.

That reality shows up in inventory. By GGAR’s measure (inventory at month-end divided by average monthly pending sales over the past 12 months), Greenville finished 2021 with 1.6 months of supply. That’s tight (a balanced market historically sits closer to the 3–4 month range), but it’s looser than several ultra-constrained metros cited in the episode that hovered around a half-month of supply or less. Markets like Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, Phoenix, and multiple California and Florida hubs were called out for living near that 0.5-month mark, while Atlanta—interestingly—looked more like Greenville at roughly 1.6–1.7 months.

Inventory is the pressure valve. With more supply than many competitors, Greenville can absorb demand—including the steady flow of out-of-state buyers—without price growth hitting the same blistering tempo.

What the appreciation gap really means

For locals feeling sticker shock, it helps to zoom out. Greenville’s 21% leap is substantial, but the comparative lens matters:

• People relocating from Austin, Raleigh, Nashville, Charlotte, or parts of Florida may still perceive Greenville as more affordable because their markets ran even hotter.

• The Upstate’s relative moderation suggests it could remain more affordable relative to those metros, even as values here continue to rise.

Put differently: Greenville hasn’t escaped the national surge, but its rate of change hasn’t matched the most aggressive markets. That relative advantage can persist as long as construction keeps flowing and inventory doesn’t collapse further.

Will 2022 repeat 2021?

No crystal ball here, but the episode outlined a pragmatic outlook:

• Prices likely keep rising, just not at 2021’s pace. The expectation is a slight slowdown from last year’s 20–21% burst.

• Mortgage rates are moving up. That headwind could cool demand at the margins, thin out a few bidding wars, and take some heat off month-over-month jumps.

• Demand remains sturdy, supply remains scarce by historical standards, and sellers still hold the advantage—just perhaps a shade less intensely.

A useful historical pattern also surfaced: Greenville tends to be less volatile than many metros. In downturns, the Upstate often doesn’t fall as far; in booms, it often doesn’t rocket as high. That steady-as-she-goes profile seems to be playing out again.

How to read the numbers (and the map)

A quick context reminder from the pod: when Selling Greenville cites GGAR figures, the data reflect the broader Greenville market as captured by the Greenville MLS. Because agents frequently cross-post listings from neighboring counties into Greenville’s MLS (and sometimes vice versa), the stats are best understood as “greater Greenville,” not strictly the City of Greenville or a single county line.

That framing matters when comparing Greenville prices vs other cities. National lists usually reference metro areas (often sprawling regions). The Upstate’s lens—covering Greenville and MLS-adjacent activity in nearby counties—offers the closest apples-to-apples view you’re likely to find.

Practical implications for buyers and sellers

For buyers:

• Expect competition to remain real, with many homes moving fast.

• The silver lining: compared to 2021’s frenzy, rate hikes and seasonal inventory pulses could trim a few bidding battles.

• If you’re coming from a place like Austin, Raleigh, or Charlotte, Greenville’s relative affordability may still feel like a welcome relief—even if prices are higher than a year ago.

For sellers:

• It’s still a seller’s market. That said, prepping for a slightly longer “on-market” time or fewer offers than peak 2021 can prevent surprises.

• Pricing strategically remains crucial. Overreaching can stall momentum even in a tight-supply environment.

For everyone watching the Upstate:

• The development environment continues to be a defining variable. As long as Greenville remains builder-friendly compared to stricter metros, inventory should keep the market hot—but not overheated relative to the nation’s speed leaders.

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Bottom Line

Greenville’s housing market is fast, competitive, and still very much tilted to sellers—but it isn’t the rocket ship some metros became in 2021. With roughly 20–21% annual appreciation versus 30–45% in several headline markets, the Upstate continues to look comparatively affordable and less volatile. A developer-friendly backdrop, 1.6 months of supply (versus ~0.5 in many peers), and rising mortgage rates all point to ongoing price growth that’s more measured than last year’s peak. For locals, that means planning for continued appreciation without assuming the extremes; for newcomers, it means Greenville remains a compelling value—especially when stacked against the cities fueling much of the migration here.

Ien Araneta

Journal & Podcast Editor | Selling Greenville