I get asked about land in Spartanburg County more than almost anywhere else in the Carolinas right now. The reason is simple. The industrial growth here is real, it’s documented — $3.5 billion in investment in 2025 — and everyone from developers to end-users is looking for sites.
But not all land is created equal. Where your parcel sits, what’s on it (or not on it), and what the zoning allows — those three things determine whether your land is worth $2/SF or $10/SF. And I’ve seen people miscalculate badly on all three.
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**I-85 Proximity**: How close are you to I-85? Distance and access directly affect industrial buyer interest. -
**Utility Infrastructure**: Do you have three-phase power, water, sewer access? Utility availability is essential for industrial development. -
**Supplier Cluster**: Are you near existing manufacturers and suppliers? Or isolated? Cluster location affects development interest.
Where demand is hottest
The I-85 corridor from Duncan through Greer to the Greenville County line. This is BMW territory. Supplier after supplier is looking for sites within 15-20 minutes of the Greer plant. The problem? Most of the obvious sites are gone. Developed or under contract. So buyers are pushing into secondary locations, which is driving prices up across the board. A parcel that nobody wanted five years ago now has two or three interested parties because the prime sites are gone.
Spartanburg County Industrial Land: Four Critical Factors
Before buying or selling industrial land, verify:
- I-85 Proximity: Direct access or quick visibility drives industrial buyer interest
- Utilities: Three-phase power, water, sewer infrastructure are essential; upgrades are expensive
- Zoning: Industrial or flex zoning required; verify before buying
- Supplier Proximity: Being near existing manufacturers increases land value and lease-up speed
The I-26 corridor heading west toward Lyman and the I-85/I-26 interchange. Same story. Good access, good labor pool, and not enough available land to meet demand. This corridor benefits from being between two major employment centers, which means tenants and workers can access it from multiple directions.
Southern Spartanburg County along Highway 9 and Highway 221. This is more of a residential and service commercial play. The land here isn’t trading as high per foot, but the residential growth in Boiling Springs and surrounding areas is creating demand for retail pad sites and small commercial parcels. A half-acre pad on Highway 9 with commercial zoning and utilities? That’s a valuable piece of dirt right now.
| Submarket | Land Type in Demand | Approx. $/SF Range |
|---|---|---|
| I-85 Corridor (Duncan/Greer) | Industrial, manufacturing sites | $6-10 |
| I-26 Corridor (Lyman/Wellford) | Industrial, flex development | $4-8 |
| Highway 9 (Boiling Springs) | Retail pads, small commercial | $5-9 |
| Cherokee County (I-85) | Large industrial sites | $2-4 |
| Rural Spartanburg County | Agricultural, speculative | $1-3 |
What makes a parcel sell
Zoning is number one. If your land is already zoned industrial or commercial, you skip the rezoning process, which can take six months to a year with no guarantee of approval. Properly zoned land trades at a premium because the buyer can start engineering and permitting immediately. I’ve seen identical parcels side by side where the zoned one sold for 30-40% more. That’s the zoning premium in a nutshell.
Utilities at the property line. Water, sewer, electric, gas. If they’re there, great. If the buyer has to extend utilities, that cost comes off the land price. I’ve seen $150K-300K in utility extension costs on parcels that looked cheap until you added up the infrastructure. Always check this before you price your land. Call the utility companies and find out exactly what’s available and where the nearest connection point is.
Topography matters a lot in the Upstate. Flat land is worth more. Period. Spartanburg County has rolling terrain, and a five-acre parcel might only have three usable acres after you account for slopes, creeks, and drainage easements. I always look at the topo before I get excited about acreage numbers. Usable acreage is what matters, not total acreage.
Who’s buying
Industrial end-users looking for build-to-suit sites. Developers assembling parcels for spec industrial. Retail developers looking for pad sites in growth corridors. And guys like me looking for sites that pencil for flex development or small industrial.
The buyer pool is deeper than it’s been in years. When BMW commits $1.7 billion and the county attracts 20 new projects in a single year, people pay attention. Site selectors and developers who used to focus only on Greenville are now looking at Spartanburg as a serious alternative with lower land costs and a hungry economic development team.
If you own commercial land in Spartanburg County, even if it’s a parcel you’ve been sitting on for years, it’s worth getting a fresh read on value. The market has moved. What was worth $3/SF three years ago might be $5-6/SF today.
For the full picture on investment activity driving land demand, read my piece on growth drivers in Spartanburg County.
Seller takeaway
Spartanburg County industrial land follows the BMW supply chain. If you own or are considering land here, understanding your proximity to I-85 and supplier clusters is essential. Call Roth Capital at 704-600-3839.
Want to know what your land is worth in this market? I’ll tell you straight. 704-600-3839.
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