What it's like to live in Greenville
Greenville is a smaller city in North Carolina with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Greenville deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, hospital ratings below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High poverty rate
- Above-average rainfall
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Greenville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Greenville
Based on Greenville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,014
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,280 a year
- 50% of Greenville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,700
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,350
- Homes cost 4.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$1,007/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,007 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $233,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $233,500 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 36% above US
449 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2368/100k · Greenville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 28% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 34°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
19 public schools inside the boundary
There are 19 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cape Lookout National Seashore (79 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Greenville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,007/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
See all the data for Greenville →·All North Carolina cities →
Other places near Greenville
All North Carolina guides →Not sure Greenville is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.