Berea, South Carolina
13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1935 and the latest in 1991. It stands in the Greenville census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29617. It stands on Little Creek. The Survey maps it on the Paris Mountain quadrangle. 15,578 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,040 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresBerea grew from 14,295 to 15,578 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 14,295 | |
| 2020 | 15,578 | +1,283 (+9%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 13 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1935 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:48000
- 1938 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1954 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:62500
- 1958 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:250000
- 1983 USGS Paris Mountain quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1984 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:100000
- 1991 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
130 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 130 fires within 5 miles of Berea between 1992 and 2020, burning about 517 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 12 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 47 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 40 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 12 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 9 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 7 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 5 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 25 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 19 September 1998 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 14 September 2009 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 2.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 12 September 2009 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 12 September 2009 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 10 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 August 1999 | Equipment and vehicle use | 3.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
7 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Berea: 3 producers, 2 unknowns, 1 occurrence, 1 prospect. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Mica, Sand, Iron. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgcomb Steel--Greenville, S.C. | Iron, Aluminum | Producer | ||
| Saluda Lake Mine | Sand | Unknown | Sedimentary | |
| C H Ellis Prospect | Mica | Prospect | ||
| G F Fuller Deposit | Mica | Occurrence | ||
| Greenville Mine | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Thomas Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | Sedimentary | |
| W.F. Thomas Sand Company | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
27 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Berea in 27 storm reports between 1997 and 2025: 13 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 5 hail, 2 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | $5,000 | County comms and FD reported a few trees down in Berea: on Alice Farr Dr, Hunts Bridge Rd, Sulphur Springs Rd, and on Eunice Dr, where a tree fell on an apartment building. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | $3,000 | Trees and powerlines were blown down from Berea to Paris Mountain to the Lake Robinson area. |
| October 2021 | Flash Flood | Berea | $1,000 | A stream gauge on the Reedy River in west Greenville indicated flash flooding developed along a portion of the river after 2 to 4 inches fell in just a few hours. This indicated significant flooding of low-lying areas along portions of the Swamp Rabbit Trail and Hudson St. Cleveland Park and Lakehurst St also flooded due to backwater effects along Richland Creek. Backwater effects along Long Branch Creek flooded low-lying areas near Westside Park and Lily St. Additionally, the media reported inundation of Pine Grove Ln in Berea due to flooding along a tributary of the Reedy. |
| October 2015 | Flood | Berea | $1,000 | After 5 to 7 inches of rain fell across central Greenville County in more than a 24 hour period, flooding developed along the Reedy River during the morning, flooding part of Cleveland Park. A tributary of the Reedy may have flooded the intersection of Sulphur Springs Rd and Watkins Rd. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Public and utility company reported trees blown down on power lines in the Berea area. Public also reported a tree blown down on Bennett St near E Park Ave. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Utility company reported trees blown down on power lines and causing outages at W Parker Rd and W Marion St and on Zet Ct. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Media reported a tree blown down on power lines on Cedar Lane Rd. Public reported another tree down on Old Buncombe Rd. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | DOT reported a tree blown down on Ridge Rd in Berea and another tree at School Rd and N Franklin Rd in north Greenville. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Highway Patrol reported a tree blown down in the Berea area and on Duvall Rd in South Greenville. DOT reported a tree blown down on White Horse Rd and on the Swamp Rabbit Trail in West Greenville. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Berea | - | HAM radio operator reported quarter size hail near Berea High School. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | A scattering of trees were blown down across central Greenville County including along North Parker Rd, Farmington Rd, as well as on Sweetbriar Rd. Also, a tree fell on a house in the Berea area. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Berea | - | Several roads were flooded in the Berea area. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Berea | - | Quarter to golf ball size hail fell across much of the northwest side of Greenville. |
| January 2010 | Flash Flood | Berea | - | Mainly urban flooding, along with some stream flooding, developed across central Greenville County. The Reedy River exceeded its established flood stage in downtown Greenville by 2 feet. Closed roads included Boiling Springs Rd at Sugar Creek Rd, Garlington Rd at I-385 and Poplar St. |
| January 2010 | Flood | Berea | - | Although heavy rain ended across the area around midnight, runoff from the earlier rainfall caused flooding to persist across portions of Greenville County through the rest of the night. Flooding along the Reedy River persisted into the afternoon hours. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Two trees were blown down on Haynesworth Rd, about 4 miles northwest of downtown Greenville. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Numerous trees were blown down in and around Greenville. Some roads affected include Hunts Bridge Rd at Tucson Rd, Rogers Ave, Woodside Ave, and Sulphur Springs Rd. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Trees blown down. |
| June 2004 | Heavy Rain | Berea | - | Poor drainage caused flooding to develop near the intersection of highway 253 and Cedar Lane during a heavy thunderstorm. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. The most concentrated area of damage was in the middle of Greenville, particularly in areas from Church St to Mills Ave to Augusta Rd. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Berea | - | Some trees and power lines were blown down. |
| August 2003 | Flash Flood | Berea | - | Slow-moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall that resulted in rapid flooding from Berea, to Greenville, to Taylors. Many roads flooded and required closing. The Reedy River crested at 9.5 feet in downtown Greenville, and remained above flood stage for much of the night. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Berea | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Berea | - | no account filed |
| September 2004 | Flash Flood | Berea | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Flash Flood | Berea | - | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Hail | Berea | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Hills | 0.4 miles | 13 | |
| Berea Heights | 0.4 miles | 13 | |
| Dellhaven | 0.7 miles | 13 | |
| Oak Hills | 0.8 miles | 13 | |
| Sunny Acres | 0.9 miles | 14 | |
| Enchanted Forest | 1.0 miles | 14 | |
| Cedar Lane Gardens | 1.0 miles | 13 | |
| Berea Forest | 1.0 miles | 13 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Berea | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2223272 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1246746. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







