Is Greenville, NC a Good Place to Live?
Greenville is a mid-sized city of 87,894 in North Carolina, with a median household income of $47,485 and a 8.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is 8% below the national average.
Strengths: Greenville stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Greenville is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Greenville city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 91.6Greenville's overall cost of living index is 91.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Greenville costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Greenville, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $192,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $933 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 32.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $47,485 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageGreenville's violent crime rate is 453.4 per 100,000 residents — 19% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Greenville is served primarily by Pitt County Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Greenville, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Pitt County Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 23 | — |
| Middle Schools | 7 | — |
| High Schools | 8 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 39.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Greenville sees average highs of 53.2°F in January and 90.4°F in July, with 51.1 inches of annual precipitation and 3.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Greenville, NC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 53.2°F |
| Average High — July | 90.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 51.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Greenville, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 87,894 | — |
| Median Age | 26.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 50.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 40.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Greenville
Greenville, NC is covered by 2 ZIP codes: