True Cost of Renting in Spartanburg, SC

Spartanburg punches well above its size in manufacturing and higher education — the city is within commuting distance of BMW's largest North American plant, hosts Wofford College and several other universities, and has a genuinely revitalized downtown around Morgan Square. Rents are among the most affordable of any city within 40 miles of a BMW plant.

Neighborhoods & Average Rents

Downtown / Morgan Square

Studio:
$900/mo
1 Bed:
$1,100/mo
2 Bed:
$1,500/mo

Revitalized core with walkable restaurants, the Hub City Bookshop, and arts venues; loft apartments and newer buildings. Duke Energy Progress electric. Best walkability in the Spartanburg area.

Converse Heights / Pine Street

Studio:
$800/mo
1 Bed:
$1,000/mo
2 Bed:
$1,400/mo

Historic residential neighborhood east of downtown; craftsman homes and small apartment buildings. Quiet, tree-lined streets. Car helpful but downtown walkable from here. Close to Converse University.

I-85 Corridor / Boiling Springs

1 Bed:
$1,200/mo
2 Bed:
$1,600/mo

Suburban apartment communities north of Spartanburg near I-85 and BMW plant access roads; targeted at BMW and supplier employees. Newer construction with amenities. Car required.

Utility Providers

Electric
Duke Energy Progress
Water
City of Spartanburg Water Department
Internet
Spectrum, AT&T Internet, Brightspeed

Commute & Transportation

BMW's Spartanburg plant (Vehicle Manufacturing Plant, 11,000 employees) is 9 miles east via I-85. Greenville is 30 miles west on I-85. I-85 and I-26 intersect near Spartanburg, providing strong regional connectivity. Charlotte is 75 miles north; Asheville, NC is 65 miles west. No rail transit. The Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport handles small aircraft. Most manufacturing workers in the BMW/supplier cluster commute by car.

Rental Market Overview

Spartanburg is one of South Carolina's best-value rental markets — median 1BR runs $1,000–1,200/month with solid urban amenities from the Morgan Square revitalization. BMW plant employment creates sustained demand from engineers and manufacturing professionals. Duke Energy Progress bills average $80–130/month. Multiple universities (Wofford, Converse, USC Upstate) create educational demand. The city's strong manufacturing base insulates the rental market from tech-sector volatility. South Carolina has no state-level rent control. Spartanburg is close enough to Greenville, 30 miles west on I-85, that the two cities are often discussed together as a single Upstate labor market, even though Spartanburg itself is meaningfully cheaper and has a distinct identity built around manufacturing rather than Greenville's more corporate, downtown-centric growth story. Renters comparing the two should weigh the shorter, cheaper Spartanburg commute to BMW against the stronger walkable amenities concentrated in downtown Greenville.

Data last updated: 2026-04

Compare Apartments in Spartanburg

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Renting in Spartanburg: Common Questions

What is the average rent in Spartanburg?
One-bedroom apartments in Spartanburg range from $1,000/month in Converse Heights / Pine Street to $1,200/month in I-85 Corridor / Boiling Springs. Two-bedroom units range from $1,400 to $1,600/month. These are base rents — add fees, utilities, and amenity costs to get the true all-in monthly cost.
What utilities do I need to set up in Spartanburg?
In Spartanburg, electricity is provided by Duke Energy Progress, water by City of Spartanburg Water Department, and common internet providers include Spectrum, AT&T Internet, Brightspeed. Ask the leasing office for the specific unit's average monthly bill rather than a city-wide figure — utility costs vary more by building age and insulation than by location within Spartanburg.
What neighborhoods are affordable in Spartanburg?
Converse Heights / Pine Street is the most affordable of the 3 Spartanburg neighborhoods covered here, at $1,000/month for a one-bedroom — $200 less than I-85 Corridor / Boiling Springs, roughly a 17% gap. That swing is often bigger than any fee or amenity difference between two buildings in the same neighborhood, which is why comparing across neighborhoods matters as much as comparing within one.
Is Spartanburg expensive to rent in?
Across the 3 neighborhoods covered here, the average one-bedroom in Spartanburg runs about $1,100/month before fees, utilities, and amenities are added — and those add-ons are exactly what a bare average hides. Spartanburg is one of South Carolina's best-value rental markets — median 1BR runs $1,000–1,200/month with solid urban amenities from the Morgan Square revitalization. Run the specific units you are considering through RentCompare to see the true all-in monthly cost rather than relying on an area average.

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