Spartanburg, also known as "Sparkle City", is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the state's 11th-most populous city. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) groups Spartanburg and Union counties together as the Spartanburg, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Spartanburg is the second-largest city in the greater Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 1,590,636 in 2023. It is part of a ten-county region of northwestern South Carolina known as "The Upstate", and is northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, North Carolina, and about northeast of Atlanta, Georgia.

Spartanburg is the home of Wofford College, Converse University, Spartanburg Community College, and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. The area is home to USC Upstate, Sherman College of Chiropractic, and Spartanburg Methodist College. It is also the site of Denny's corporate headquarters.

History Spartanburg was formed in 1785 after a deal was made with the Cherokee in 1753, and was named after a local militia in the American Revolutionary War, the Spartan Regiment. The regiment, commanded by Andrew Pickens, participated in the Battle of Cowpens. In 1831, Spartanburg was incorporated, later becoming known as the "Hub City"; railroad lines radiated from it like wheel spokes.

Spartanburg became a center of textile manufacturing in the late 19th century, with around 40 textile mills established through the early 1900s.

In 1911, under the sponsorship of the Spartanburg Herald and the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the city built a Confederate monument at the intersection of South Church and Henry Streets, overlooking downtown. In 1966 it was moved to Duncan Park.

During World War I, 100,000 soldiers trained at Camp Wadsworth. Camp Croft trained soldiers during World War II. The facility was transferred to the state and adapted as Croft State Park.

By the 1950s, production at Spartanburg's mills had begun to decline as wages increased. Most textile manufacturing jobs were moved offshore.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and (0.54%) is water. The most common soil series is Cecil. The bedrock is mostly biotite gneiss.Nystrom, P.G., Jr., 2002, Geologic map of the Spartanburg quadrangle, Spartanburg County, South Carolina: South Carolina Geological Survey, Open-File Report OFR-144, scale 1:24,000

Climate The city of Spartanburg has a humid subtropical climate with long, hot, and humid summers, and cool to semi-mild winters. The average annual temperature is . In the summer from June through September, average highs are in the 80s °F (20s °C) to low 90s °F (30s °C), while in the winter, average highs are in the mid-50s °F (10s °C). Annual rainfall is spread fairly evenly throughout the whole year. Spartanburg receives very little snowfall, with the annual average being only . Average precipitation is and the average growing season is 231 days.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Spartanburg city, South Carolina – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)18,43316,26717,07646.46%43.95%44.09%Black or African American alone (NH)19,55918,15616,94549.30%49.05%43.75%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)6868670.17%0.18%0.17%Asian alone (NH)5236607871.32%1.78%2.03%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)1710640.04%0.03%0.17%Other race alone (NH)38511720.10%0.14%0.44%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3295371,3410.83%1.45%3.46%Hispanic or Latino (any race)7061,2642,2801.78%3.42%5.89%Total39,67337,01338,732 100.00%100.00%100.00%

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 17,538 45.3% Black or African American 17,071 44.1% American Indian and Alaska Native 116 0.3% Asian 811 2.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 66 0.2% Some other race 1,139 2.9% Two or more races 1,991 5.1%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, 38,732 people, 15,876 households, and 8,638 families resided in the city. The median age was 35.7 years, with 22.4% of residents under the age of 18 and 17.4% aged 65 years or older. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 77.4 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 15,876 households in Spartanburg, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 30.4% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 42.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 17,419 housing units, of which 8.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%.

2010 census At the 2010 census, there were 37,013 people, 15,989 households, and 9,721 families residing in the city. The population density was . The 17,696 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup was 49.55% African American, 47.15% White, 0.18% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.82% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.78% of the population.

Of the 15,989 households, 28.9% had children under 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were not families. About 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the age distribution was 25.2% under 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,735, and for a family was $36,108. Males had a median income of $30,587 versus $23,256 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,136. About 29.4% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.6% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy Developers and community leaders have spearheaded an effort to revitalize Spartanburg's downtown commercial district. This has resulted in a remodeling of Morgan Square, restoration of several historic structures, and relocation of several businesses and company headquarters to the downtown vicinity. These new developments include a nine-floor, 240-room Marriott hotel.

Spartanburg is home to many large companies, including Denny's, KYMCO, Smith Drug Company, Advance America Cash Advance, Southern Conference, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, RJ Rockers Brewing Company, American Credit Acceptance, and Upward Sports.

Spartanburg's economy benefits from the BMW manufacturing facility in Greer, South Carolina, in Spartanburg County. As of 2017, the plant employed about 8,800 people with an average daily output of about 1,400 vehicles.

Spartanburg is also home to the world headquarters and research facility for Milliken & Company, a textile and chemical manufacturer.

Top employers According to Spartanburg's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, its principal employers are:

# Employer # of employees 1 Spartanburg Regional 9,648 2 Spartanburg County 1,515 3 Spartanburg School District 7 1,273 4 RedSail Technologies, LLC 485 5 Wofford College 421 6 City of Spartanburg 416 7 Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care 300 8 Converse University 260 9 Denny's Corporate Office 250 10 Advance America, Inc. 233

Arts and culture

Cultural events and institutions in the city include: Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg's cultural anchor for history, art, theatre, dance, music, and science, is in a three-building complex on the northern edge of downtown. Opened in October 2007, the Center was designed by David M. Schwarz Architects of Washington, D.C. It houses the Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg County Regional History Museum, Science Center, Little Theatre, Ballet, Music Foundation, and other groups that were formerly in The Arts Center on South Spring Street. It is owned and operated by The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting arts and cultural agencies in Spartanburg County. Converse University is a nationally known four-year liberal arts institution recognized for its strong music and visual art programs. It hosts events open to the community throughout the year. Twichell Auditorium is on the campus of Converse University. Home of the Greater Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the auditorium has hosted other groups, such as the Spartanburg All-County High School Band and Boston Brass. Twichell Auditorium was built in 1899 and renovated for the school's centennial celebration in 1989. It is home to a 57-rank Casavant organ with 2,600+ pipes. Theatre Converse puts on several plays a year, and Converse puts on an opera annually, as well as opera scenes. The university has had major concerts in recent years with such artists as Caedmon's Call, Jason Mraz, Corey Smith, and Colbie Caillat. Hub City Writers Project, serves the community as a local publishing company and independent bookstore. Spartanburg County Public Library headquarters, housed in an innovative building on South Church Street, is home to a voluminous collection of fiction, nonfiction, children's literature, A/V materials and items relating to local history and genealogy. The library hosts many meetings, concerts and presentations. The County Librarian is Todd Stephens. Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium is on N. Church Street, across from the municipal building in the northwest end of the city. The "SMA" has hosted acts such as Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills and Nash, B.B. King, Billy Joel, David Copperfield, Lewis Grizzard, Harry Connick, Jr., Gerald Levert, Dave Chappelle, Jerry Seinfeld, Phish, and A Prairie Home Companion. Originally built in an Art Deco style, it was renovated including a new facade and backstage with loading area. Wofford College, liberal arts college. Not traditionally known for its arts and cultural strength, Wofford has made notable strides to develop arts programs in recent years. Poet and environmental writer John E. Lane, theater artist Mark Ferguson, and visual artist Kris Neely are all graduates of Wofford. Each returned to their alma mater to develop curricular and co-curricular opportunities in the Arts, including a Creative Writing program, a Theatre major, and a minor in Studio Art. John Lane was also a critical visionary in the creation of the Goodall Environmental Studies Center in Glendale.

Points of interest Cottonwood Trail, a walking trail in the Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve, runs along part of Lawson's Fork Creek. The trail includes picnic areas, a raised path over an extensive wetlands area and access to sporadic sandbars. Just east of downtown, it is used frequently by cyclists, joggers and walkers. Since the Lawson's Fork floodplain is not suitable for development, wildlife populate the area. Larger animals found here include white-tailed deer, raccoons, wild turkeys, pileated woodpeckers, mallard ducks, Canada geese, and snapping turtles. Hampton Heights Historic District, the city's oldest intact downtown neighborhood, is a few blocks south of Morgan Square. Architectural styles in this neighborhood range from large Queen Anne and Neoclassical homes to cozy early 20th-century bungalows.