Upstate South Carolina
The Upstate, historically known as the Upcountry, is a region of the U.S. state of South Carolina, comprising the northwesternmost area of the state. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerce-rich I-85 corridor in the northwest corner of South Carolina. This definition coincided with the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area, as first defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2015. In 2023, the OMB issued its most updated definition of the CSA that coincides again with the 10-county region.
Greenville CSA | |
|---|---|
| Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area | |
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Location of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson CSA, which coincides with Upstate South Carolina except for Abbeville County, and its components:
Greenville-Anderson Metropolitan Statistical Area
Spartanburg Metropolitan Statistical Area
Seneca Micropolitan Statistical Area
Greenwood Micropolitan Statistical Area
Gaffney Micropolitan Statistical Area
Union Micropolitan Statistical Area This map became outdated when the OMB redefined some of these statistical areas in 2023. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| Principal cities | Greenville Spartanburg Anderson Mauldin Easley |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6,168 sq mi (15,980 km2) |
| • Land | 6,008 sq mi (15,560 km2) |
| • Water | 141 sq mi (370 km2) 2.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • CSA | 1,487,610 (39th) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Area code | 864 |
The region's population was 1,487,610 as of 2020. Situated between Atlanta and Charlotte, the Upstate is the geographical center of the Charlanta megaregion. After BMW's initial investment, foreign companies, including others from Germany, have a substantial presence in the Upstate; several large corporations have established regional, national, or continental headquarters in the area. Greenville is the largest city in the region with a population of 72,227 and an urban-area population of 387,271, and it is the base of most commercial activity. Spartanburg and Anderson are next in population.