Greenville continues to steadily expand its municipal boundaries through annexation, bringing more residents and businesses into the city’s fold.
Annexations have become a frequent item on Greenville City Council meeting agendas. Mayor Knox White said the city used to annex properties more sporadically than it has in the last five years.
“It’s always been a real personal passion of mine,” White said. “Another mayor told me many years ago that if you don’t believe in annexation, then you don’t believe in your city, and I have always remembered that.”
A total of 1.84 square miles of property – equal to 1,177.97 acres – have been annexed into the city of Greenville since 2021. Today, the city spans 31.57 square miles inside Greenville County.
“Managing growth the right way is more important than ever. It’s better that properties be in the city than not because we focus on good planning and quality of life.” – Greenville Mayor Knox White
The recent rise in annexations in Greenville can be traced back to the creation of the GVL2040 Comprehensive Plan in 2021. The planning document serves as a tool for shaping and managing the city’s growth and development over the next two decades.
Greenville City Manager Shannon Lavrin said annexations can support many of the priorities outlined in GVL2040, including affordable housing development and open space preservation.
City Council instructed Lavrin to keep annexations top of mind when she was appointed as city manager in June 2023. This request prompted city staff to take a closer, more strategic look at annexations.
Application process
It’s important to note that cities in South Carolina cannot annex any property they choose. A property can only be eligible for annexation if it’s contiguous to the existing municipal boundaries. State law also makes it difficult for an annexation to occur against a property owner’s wishes.
“Council is not supportive of annexing in any kind of hostile way. That is a lose for us,” said Greenville City Councilmember Dororthy Dowe.
Two primary annexation methods are used by the city of Greenville. The 100% method is a voluntary annexation in which all property owners agree to be brought into the city.
The other annexation method requires a petition signed by at least 75% of the property owners with at least 75% of the assessed property value within the annexation area. Property owners within the defined annexation boundary who do not sign the petition would also be annexed under this method.
City staff meet with property owners interested in annexation to assist them with the process. Annexation applications submitted to the city are evaluated by the city’s planning and development staff and other departments. Lavrin said each annexation application is different and requires careful consideration.
“We have to look at each one individually,” Lavrin said. “I think that one of the things that the planning staff does a really good job at in their staff reports is analyzing how each of these annexations fit within the city, how they meet GVL2040 and why they’re being annexed into the city.”
The city’s Planning Commission will review the annexation application and concurrent rezoning request to make a recommendation to the City Council. Annexation applications require two readings by council for final approval. Greenville City Councilmember John DeWorken said he evaluates each application by determining whether the annexation brings value to the city’s current residents.
“When you bring in other neighborhoods or if you bring in businesses, I think it’s obviously an added value for them, and it’s an added value for us as well,” DeWorken said.
Mutually beneficial
For the past several years, city staff have focused on educating residential and commercial property owners on the potential advantages of annexation. White said it should be mutually beneficial.
The city promotes that annexed property owners gain access to enhanced police and fire protection, lower water utility rates, public infrastructure improvements and other municipal services. Lavrin said the city has increased the budgets for police, fire and public works to ensure these departments have the staff and equipment needed to respond to the newly annexed areas.
Hampton Station was annexed into Greenville in September 2025. Abacus Capital, owner of Hampton Station, applied for the annexation to complete future enhancement projects on the property. The firm is looking to activate a vacant lot next to the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail by potentially creating a dog park or outdoor sports courts.
“Through 60 annexations this past year alone, we grew by more than 395 acres, a 2% increase in city size. Greenville is growing and we are growing smart.” – Greenville City Manager Shannon Lavrin
“When we had initially started those conversations with the county, it didn’t go anywhere. There was no willingness to kind of accommodate it, and it just kind of died on the vine,” said Will McGinnis, vice president at Abacus Capital. “We had a conversation with the city about it, and they were willing to kind of figure out ways for us to improve that site.”
Annexations benefit the city of Greenville by increasing its population and tax base. The city had a total population of 79,396 residents in 2025. Greenville City Councilmember Lillian Brock Flemming explained that additional tax revenue created by annexations helps fund city infrastructure projects and public services.
Cherrydale remains one of Greenville’s largest annexations in the past five years, adding approximately 126 acres of commercial property into the city limits. This annexation was approved by City Council in 2024, providing more property and business license revenue for the city.
Lavrin said bringing commercial properties into the city limits can also unlock other redevelopment opportunities. One example she gave was the city’s recent annexation of the historic Judson Mill, which was redeveloped into a vibrant mixed-use community with apartments, office and retail space.
“Bringing some of those strategic properties into the city allows us to really see economic development flourish within our own boundaries, and that’s something that we want to continue to support as a city,” Lavrin said.
Strategic planning
Greenville continues to see more annexations on the western edge of the city limits. City leaders said it is an area where property taxes are lower when annexed into Greenville.
In comparison, White said property owners east of the city are less likely to apply for annexation because it would increase their property taxes. He noted other natural boundaries the city wouldn’t consider annexing past due to service delivery issues, such as Interstate 85 to the southeast or the former Union Bleachery mill site to the north of Greenville.
“Our planning department has spent more time actually studying that, you know, what are the areas that we desire to come into the city,” White said. “Early on, we decided that the textile mills would be a good goal.”
Brandon Mill in West Greenville was annexed into the city in the fall of 2025. City Council also approved the annexation of the historic American Spinning Mill in December 2025. White said annexing these mills is important due to their historical significance to the city. Many of these properties have also been redeveloped into apartment complexes, adding more residents to the city’s population.
The city has also focused on closing and avoiding the creation of “doughnut holes” through annexation. These are pockets of unincorporated properties in Greenville County that are surrounded by city boundaries. Dowe said such holes can make emergency response and sanitation service delivery, such as trash pickup, more difficult.
Some surrounding fire districts have pushed back against the city’s annexation practices in recent years, including the Parker District Fire Department. However, White said he has heard “nothing but good things” from Greenville County Council members.
“I think at the end of the day, (annexations) give the city a greater voice in what happens in the region, and I think it promotes quality of life and good planning,” White said.
Definition
“Annexation is the process of transferring property from unincorporated areas of Greenville County into the service area and jurisdiction of the city of Greenville.”
Source: City of Greenville
Annexation benefits
The city of Greenville promotes that property owners who are annexed into its municipal boundaries receive:
- 7.35 police officers per square mile versus .04 in the unincorporated areas of the county
- Average emergency response time of 7 minutes versus 15 minutes in the unincorporated areas of the county
- One-third lower water rates from the Greenville Water System
- In some cases, lower property taxes
Source: City of Greenville
By the numbers
A total of 1.84 square miles of property – equal to 1,177.97 acres – have been annexed into the city of Greenville since 2021.
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GVL2040 priorities
Annexations support many of the priorities outlined in the GVL2040 Comprehensive Plan, including affordable housing development and open space preservation.
Greenville City Manager Shannon Lavrin said during the state of the city address in early June that the city’s most recent annexation cycle added 186 affordable units. Through annexations, the city has also enabled 2,364 new housing units citywide.
Annexations can also support the city’s efforts to preserve existing open space. For example, Greenville City Council recently approved the annexation of seven acres of open space on Grove Road and West Faris Road for the Swansgate community.
