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Moving to
Five Forks.
Five Forks is an unincorporated community in Greenville County, SC. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Five Forks
Five Forks is an unincorporated community in South Carolina with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Five Forks deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Five Forks compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Five Forks
Based on Five Forks's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,356
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $87,120 a year
- 51% of Five Forks renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$90,440
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $45,220
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 54% above US
$2,178/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,178 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $452,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $452,200 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Greenville County is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Greenville County (county-wide)
Safety
323 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Five Forks doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Greenville County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs close to the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1223/100k · Policed by Greenville County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% 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
Education & workforce▲ 82% above US
66% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cowpens National Battlefield (32 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Five Forks's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,178/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
See all the data for Five Forks →·All South Carolina cities →
Other places near Five Forks
All South Carolina guides →Moving to Simpsonville →
6 mi away · pop. 26,144
Rent $1,415/mo · Income $82,457
Compare with Five Forks →Moving to Fountain Inn →
8 mi away · pop. 12,020
Rent $1,184/mo · Income $73,585
Compare with Five Forks →Not sure Five Forks is the one?
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