COVID-ictionary: “Zoom Towns” (noun) – referring to housing markets that are experiencing a “boom,” as remote work is on the rise. 🏡 And another phrase to add to your pandemic glossary.

You may have seen this term thrown around recently, as many workers are telecommuting more because of COVID-19 – providing ample opportunity to live where they please, regardless of where their office may be located.

More often than not, this means that people are fleeing the hustle + bustle of larger metropolitan areas and seeking a spacious, tranquil, and more affordable place to practice their craft. Does this ring a bell for anyone? We’re thinking of a certain warm-ish weather city nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with plenty of small town charm and big city culture.

As you may have guessed (or even witnessed for yourself) at this point, Greenville has been making national headlines recently for its desirability as a “Zoom Town” along with some other places you may have heard of – Bend, OR, Louisville, KY, Burlington, VT, and Knoxville, TN, to name a few. So, let’s see exactly how we measure up.

○ No. 17. The Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin area ranked no. 17 on USA Today’s list of 20 Cheap American Cities That Are Seeing a Boom of Move-ins this Year. The research compared local costs of living to the national average, and our area was found to be 9.6% lower than most other metros with most potential buyers searching from the northeast – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

○ No. 8. According to this study, shared by NPR, migration to Greenville grew 79%, the eighth highest increase in the country, this spring when compared with last spring.

○ Top 10. Greenville was named one of the top cities to relocate to during COVID-19 according to a survey commissioned by Airbnb and conducted by research and consulting firm Clearpath Strategies.

Click here to see why so many of our readers have chosen to call Greenville their home. While only time will tell if these “Zoomers” are here to stay, one thing’s for certain – there’s no place like home.