HousingPermits

Metro area in South Carolina · part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC combined area

Spartanburg, SC

The Spartanburg metro area authorized 4,359 new housing units in 2025. No year in the 2004–2025 record brought more permits than 2025, a distinction it shares with 16 other metro areas. Recent building has outrun the boom: the 2021–2025 yearly average was 51% above the 2004–2006 average, the third-largest recovery by this measure among the 85 metro areas of 250,000 to 499,999 residents.

01,5003,0004,5006,0002004: 2,302 units (1,990 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 304 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 2,172 units (2,164 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 2,191 units (2,191 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 1,678 units (1,678 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,106 units (1,106 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 652 units (624 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 28 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 579 units (579 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 549 units (549 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 743 units (743 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,213 units (969 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 240 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 1,104 units (1,084 single-family, 20 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 1,418 units (1,418 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 1,921 units (1,921 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,316 units (2,316 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 2,685 units (2,685 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 2,627 units (2,627 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 2,907 units (2,907 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 3,656 units (3,436 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 220 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 2,644 units (2,644 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,923 units (2,880 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 41 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,230 units (3,190 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 40 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 4,359 units (4,075 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 276 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252025 high · 4,3592011 low · 54902,0004,0006,0002004: 2,302 units (1,990 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 304 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 2,172 units (2,164 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 2,191 units (2,191 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 1,678 units (1,678 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,106 units (1,106 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 652 units (624 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 28 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 579 units (579 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 549 units (549 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 743 units (743 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,213 units (969 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 240 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 1,104 units (1,084 single-family, 20 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 1,418 units (1,418 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 1,921 units (1,921 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,316 units (2,316 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 2,685 units (2,685 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 2,627 units (2,627 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 2,907 units (2,907 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 3,656 units (3,436 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 220 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 2,644 units (2,644 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,923 units (2,880 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 41 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,230 units (3,190 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 40 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 4,359 units (4,075 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 276 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252025 high · 4,359

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Permits rose 35% between 2024 and 2025, the largest increase among the 8 metro areas based in South Carolina.

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 6 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Spartanburg County (unincorporated), with 14,844 units or 88% of the total, followed by Woodruff with 1,156. Among the three largest, Union put 64% of its units in five-plus buildings, Woodruff 0%.

  • Spartanburg County (unincorporated)88% (14,844 units)
  • Woodruff6.9% (1,156 units)
  • Union2.6% (429 units)
  • Union County (unincorporated)1.1% (191 units)
  • Spartanburg1.1% (183 units)
  • Cowpens town0.1% (9 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

Houses or apartments

In Spartanburg, 96% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 3.4% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Pensacola (3.3% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2004 (304), single-family houses in 2025 (4,075).

2021–202596.5%96%0.1%3.4%2004–200695.2%95%0.2%4.6%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202596.5%96%0.1%3.4%2004–200695.2%95%0.2%4.6%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Relative to population

With 407,656 residents in July 2025, Spartanburg authorized 8.7 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, 1.9 times the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Auburn (8.8) and Colorado Springs (8.6).

Boom, bust and since

Its peak year is shared by 16 other metro areas, among them Savannah, Hickory, Gainesville, FL. Annual permits fell from 2,302 during the mid-2000s boom to 549 in 2011, a drop of 76%. The nearest bust profile in the South Atlantic states was Albany, GA's (76%).

The wider Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson region

The Census Bureau groups Spartanburg with one neighboring metro area in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 12,095 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Spartanburg accounted for 28%. The other, with its yearly average: Greenville, SC (8,732).

Where in the metro

Spartanburg County accounted for 96% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Union County for 3.7%.

  • Spartanburg County96% (3,986 in 2025)
  • Union County3.7% (373 in 2025)

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Mobile, AL1,1022.78.6%
Spartanburg, SC4,3598.73.4%
Anchorage, AK2971.320%
Flint, MI4441.111%
Canton-Massillon, OH6431.723%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Spartanburg beside Anchorage

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: South Carolina. Counting rules.