Simpsonville, South Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Simpsonville
City
From top, left to right: Downtown Simpsonville, Simpsonville City Hall, Simpsonville Baptist Church, Simpsonville Clock Tower
Seal Logo
Motto(s):  "Simply Home"
Location of Simpsonville, South Carolina
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Greenville
Area
• City	9.45 sq mi (24.47 km2)
• Land	9.43 sq mi (24.41 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation	866 ft (264 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	23,354
• Estimate  (2023)	27,506
• Density	2,477.62/sq mi (956.56/km2)
• Urban	159,506 (US: 227th)
• Urban density	1,576.1/sq mi (608.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	29680-29681
Area code(s)	864, 821
FIPS code	45-66580
GNIS feature ID	1250898

Simpsonville is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Greenville, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 23,354 at the 2020 census, up from 18,238 in the 2010 census. Simpsonville is part of the "Golden Strip", along with Mauldin and Fountain Inn, an area which is noted for having low unemployment due to a diversity of industries including H.B. Fuller, KEMET, Sealed Air and Milliken. It is the 23rd-most populous city in South Carolina.

History

House in Simpsonville, c. 1915

Simpsonville is named after Peter Simpson, a farmer from Laurens County who provided blacksmithing services and became the local postmaster.

The Burdette Building, Cureton-Huff House, Hopkins Farm, and Simpsonville Baptist Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The oldest brick building in the city is a former pharmacy built in 1886 at 101 East Curtis Street. The Woodside Mill, central to the local economy in the early 1900s, includes an antique water tower.

The Simpsonville Clock Tower was built in 1987 and is the city's main landmark.

In October 2018, a winning lottery ticket for a $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot was sold at the #7 KC Mart in Simpsonville.

Geography

Simpsonville is located in southeastern Greenville County at 34°44′0″N 82°15′36″W / 34.73333°N 82.26000°W / 34.73333; -82.26000 (34.733375, -82.260001), between Mauldin to the northwest and Fountain Inn to the southeast. The center of town has an elevation of 866 feet (264 m) above sea level.

South Carolina Highway 14 runs through the center of Simpsonville as Main Street, leading north 16 miles (26 km) to Greer and southeast 5 miles (8 km) to the center of Fountain Inn. The center of Mauldin is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to the northwest via South Carolina Highway 417. Interstate 385 passes through Simpsonville west of the city center, with access from exits 26 through 29. I-385 leads northwest 14 miles (23 km) to the center of Greenville and southeast 28 miles (45 km) to Interstate 26 near Clinton. Columbia, the state capital, is 89 miles (143 km) southeast of Simpsonville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Simpsonville has a total area of 8.90 square miles (23.05 km²), of which 8.70 square miles (22.53 km²) are land and 0.02 square miles (0.052 km²), or 0.22%, are water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 23,354 people, 8,464 households, and 6,104 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,732.9 people per square mile (916.2 per km²). There were 9,044 housing units at an average density of 1,016.2 per square mile (392.2 per km²). 24.1% of the population was under 18, and 14.4% of the population was over 65. 51.3% of the population was female.

The median annual income for a household in the city was $71,990, and the per capita income was $32,821. 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line.

Emergency services

The Simpsonville Police Department was founded in 1907 and its first police chief was hired in 1928. Citizen-based programs were added in 2014 that provide opportunities for civilians to work alongside police officers. The current chief of police is Michael D. Hanshaw.

The Simpsonville Fire Department was formed in 1922. Fire protection was supported by annual contract fees until the mid-1980s when a tax system was adopted instead. Protection is provided to citizens within Simpsonville's city limits and some parts of surrounding Greenville County via six fire stations within a district of about 30 square miles (78 km²). The department's current fire chief is Wesley Williams.

Education

Public education in Simpsonville is administered by Greenville County School District. The district operates five schools in Simpsonville. Hillcrest High School, Hillcrest Middle School, Bryson Middle School, Simpsonville Elementary School, and Plain Elementary School.

Abiding Peace Academy is a K2-5 grade school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Simpsonville.

Simpsonville has a public library, a branch of the Greenville County Library System.

Culture and sports

Simpsonville's CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park, named for sponsor Coastal Carolina National Bank, is an outdoor entertainment venue with seating for up to 15,000. It has hosted performers and community events since 2005.

The Simpsonville Arts Center hosts performing arts by the Mill Town Players of Pelzer. Renovation of the center was completed in February 2022.

The Women's American Basketball Association established a team based in Simpsonville to begin its first season in July 2021. Home games for the Carolina Upstate Thunder are to be played in Greenville.

Media

The Simpsonville Sentinel is the local area newspaper, published monthly. The news website Patch also has a Simpsonville edition.

Simpsonville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville DMA television market. Local television stations include:

Simsponville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Arbitron Metro radio market. Station WYRD-FM is licensed in and transmits from Simpsonville. Other local radio stations include:

Notable people

See also

In Spanish: Simpsonville (Carolina del Sur) para niños