From ‘a blip on the national map,’ Greenville ‘has big-cityamenitieswithoutsomeoftheunpleasantries,’listsays
From Staff Reports
U.S. News & World Report, billing itself as “the global authority in rankings and consumer advice,” has named Greenville, S.C., one of the 2024-2025 Best Places to Live in the nation, according to a May 21 press release from the City of Greenville.
Specifically, Greenville was rated No. 4 in the general rankings. This year’s list evaluated 150 of the country’s top cities, based on how well they meet Americans’ living expectations, with measures including value, job market, desirability and quality of life.
Meanwhile, neighboring archrival Asheville, long nicknamed the “Paris of the South,” was rated No. 17 in the same general rankings.
In a separate ranking “of friendliest places” by Southern Living Magazine, Greenville — at No. 3 — again trounced Asheville, which was rated No. 7.
Seeking comment on Asheville’s rankings, especially given that it was twice topped by nearby surging former mill town Greenville (63.1 miles — a 77-minute drive), the Daily Planet contacted Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer for a statement addressing the conundrum.
In response, the mayor emailed the Daily Planet the following statement on May 31:
“We live in a beautiful region of the country, recognized as a great place to vacation and live.
“We’re happy to see two great cities acknowledged for the lifestyles both towns afford their visitors and residents.
“With so much beauty here in Western North Carolina, it’s only fair to let South Carolina have a little piece of it.”
Also, the Daily Planet twice emailed Greenville Mayor Knox H. White (a Greenville native who has served as mayor since 1995), seeking a statement regarding his city’s success in the recent ratings, but White did not respond by the newspaper’s early June 3 press deadline.
In the Daily Planet’s request for a statement from Manheimer on the recent rankings between Asheville and Greenville, the newspaper asked Asheville’s mayor to address the following questions:
• What is her explanation for why Greenville recently received such high rankings, including No. 4 in “best places to live” and No. 3 in “friendliest places,” relative to Asheville?
• What does it say that Asheville trailed Greenville in the same rankings, with ratings of No. 17 in “best places to live” and No. 7 in “friendliest places?”
• Is it the case, in your view, that Asheville’s neighboring archrival Greenville, based on these two latest rankings and many in the recent past, now is “better” in many ways than Asheville? If so, how? If not, what case would you make for Asheville being better, overall, than Greenville?
• Should the long-held title of the “Paris of the South” be given up by Asheville (population of 93,776) and, instead, be given to the up-and-coming Greenville (population of 72,310)?
As for Greenville, the U.S. News & World Report ranking stated:
“Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville has transformed from a blip on the national map to a bustling metropolis. The former textile powerhouse now has an influx of manufacturing jobs to thank for its growth, with companies like GE and Michelin moving in and infusing the town with new energy.
“The reinvigorated downtown serves as the focal point of the region, attracting new business, hosting an emerging culinary scene and housing what some call the crown jewel of Greenville: Falls Park on the Reedy.
“Greenville has big-city amenities without some of the unpleasantries that come with a more populated metro area. The 10-block stretch of Main Street is lined with a variety of boutiques, restaurants, businesses and bars.
“A low cost of living and mild temperatures year-round make Greenville desirable to many. Plus, being located steps away from the mountains without giving up any of the offerings of a developed region makes it easy to enjoy what nature has to offer.”
Regarding Asheville, U.S. News & World Report stated:
"Though this small mountain city has many nicknames – ‘Paris of the South’ and ‘Beer City’ among them — what makes Asheville unique is hard to define.
“Certainly, an excellent food scene, fed by local farmers and producers, is a huge draw. The Blue Ridge Mountains, which form a backdrop behind the downtown skyline, also serve as an attractive playground for outdoor adventurers. As for the beer, Asheville has more breweries per capita than most other U.S. cities.
“But it’s also the spirit of the place that has people flocking to western North Carolina to take a look at this art deco-bedecked city and maybe even stay awhile.
“Even if the proliferation of hotels and tourist-crowded streets means Asheville’s not quite as weird as it was when Rolling Stone in 2000 declared it “America’s new freak capital,” it still has an independent spirit. Here, you can wear hiking boots to dinner, enjoy plenty of public art and bask in an easygoing attitude that invites you to come as you are.
“Black bears are present year-round in Asheville, even in the winter, though spring brings heightened activity. For the most part, residents have learned to accept that they’ve moved into bear territory and not the other way around. Still, coexistence with hungry ursine neighbors isn’t always easy. Black bears can sniff out food anywhere, so trash cans must be secured at all times. Bears have also been known to open car doors and enter homes and businesses, even though their attitude toward humans usually falls somewhere between indifference and fear.”
Also of local interest, Charleston, S.C., was ranked No. 13 in the “best places to live” in the nation ranking — and No. 1 in “friendlest big cities in the South” listing.
The 20 top-rated cities in the “best places to live” in the U.S. included the following:
1. Naples, Fla.
2. Boise, Idaho
3. Colorado Springs, Colo.
4. Greenville, S.C.
5 Charlotte, N.C.
6. Raleigh, N.C.
7. Huntsville, Ala.
8. Virginia Beach, Va.
9. Austin, Texas
10. Boulder, Colo.
11. Sarasota, Fla.
12. Green Bay, Wisc.
13. Charleston, S.C.
14. Madison, Wisc.
15. Lexington, Ky.
16. Oklahoma City, Okla.
17. Asheville, N.C.
18. Omaha, Neb.
19. Ann Arbor, Mich.
20. Fort Wayne, Ind.
“Deciding where to live is a significant decision many people make based on a number of factors that mean most to them,” said Erika Giovanetti, loans expert and reporter, U.S. News & World Report. “The Best Places to Live rankings identifies cities that are most likely to meet the wants and needs of those considering where to call home next.”
The four measures factored into this year’s ranking were weighted in part based on a public survey of thousands of individuals throughout the U.S. to find out what qualities they consider important in a place to live. The methodology also factors in data from the National Weather Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, Sharecare (Nasdaq: SHCR), the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. News rankings of the Best High Schools and Best Hospitals.
Meanwhile, in Southern Living Magazine’s “friendliest big cities in the South” listing, the top 15 included:
1. Charleston, S.C.
2. Savannah, Ga.
3. Greenville, S.C.
4. New Orleans, La.
5. Nashville, Tenn.
6. Wilmington, N.C.
7. Asheville, N.C.
8. Franklin, Tenn.
9. Lexington, Ky.
10. Lafayette, La.
11. Chatanooga, Tenn.
12. San Antonio, Texas
13. Austin, Texas
14. Bentonville, Ark.
15. Cary, N.C.
The Southern Living, a lifestyle magazine for Southern readers, recently released a survey that was conducted of its readership in July and August 2023, with more than 20,000 respondents.
The cities to be consider on the list were required to have a population of 40,000 people or more.
