Woodruff's Growth Is Real — But It Isn't Apartments
Woodruff's population reached approximately 6,026 as of the mid-2025 U.S. Census Bureau Vintage estimate, up 16.8% (868 residents) in a single year — the fastest growth rate of any South Carolina municipality, edging out even Hardeeville. But that growth is not showing up as new apartment supply. Research for this guide found no new market-rate apartment construction anywhere in or near Woodruff, despite the population surge. What's actually being built: more than 6,000 new single-family homes are reportedly planned around Woodruff over the next five years, in subdivisions including Pinebrook, Oakhurst, Harrier Point, and Cavins Farm.
Woodruff Arms Apartments — The One Community Found
Woodruff Arms Apartments, at 100 Theo Circle, is a 36-unit, 1- and 2-bedroom community built in 1984. It operates as income-restricted affordable housing under a USDA Section 521 Rental Assistance program, with a 40/60 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) election — meaning at least 40% of units are set aside for households at or below 60% of the area median income, and eligibility generally requires household income at or below 80% of the area median.
Rent here is not a flat dollar figure. Under the income-based structure, subsidized units are generally set at 30% of a household's adjusted gross income. Every listing source checked for this guide — including aggregators like PublicHousing.com and AffordableHousingOnline — shows no dollar figure at all, directing inquiries to a phone call instead, and the property's own management site could not be accessed to confirm figures directly. No mandatory monthly fees (application, pet, administrative, or utility) could be confirmed for this property from any source.
Local Tenant Protections
South Carolina law provides the baseline for tenant rights in Woodruff, whether you're renting an apartment or a single-family home.
- No local ordinance beyond South Carolina's statewide baseline has been identified for Woodruff
South Carolina statewide baseline
- Security deposit cap
- No cap
- Deposit return
- 30 days
- Landlord entry notice
- 24 hours
- Rent regulation
- None statewide
Statutory basis: S.C. Code §27-40-410/-530. Figures verified June 2026 against the primary statute. Statutes change — a lawyer in South Carolina can confirm what applies to a specific tenancy.
For full South Carolina statewide tenant rights, see our South Carolina tenant rights guide.
What's Actually Driving Woodruff's Growth
Two large industrial projects account for nearly $1 billion in combined investment near Woodruff:
- BMW Group's "Plant Woodruff" — a roughly $700 million high-voltage EV battery assembly facility supplying BMW's Spartanburg vehicle plant 15 miles away, with 300+ onsite jobs and battery pack assembly targeted to begin December 2026.
- Airsys Cooling Technologies' global headquarters — a data-center and AI cooling equipment manufacturer relocating its HQ from Greer to a 264,000-square-foot campus in Woodruff, a $40-60 million investment creating 215 new jobs, with operations coming online in 2026.
These are owner-occupied industrial facilities, not leased retail or office space, and they don't directly create apartment supply — but they're the reason new residents are moving to the area, mostly into new single-family subdivisions rather than rentals.
If You're Looking to Rent Near Woodruff
Given how limited Woodruff's own apartment inventory is, most renters targeting this area end up looking slightly further out:
- Spartanburg, about 17 miles away, has an active apartment market with far more inventory and disclosed pricing
- Greenville, about 30 miles away, is a larger market with even more options if commute distance allows
- A single-family rental home, rather than an apartment, may be the more realistic option directly in Woodruff given the subdivision-driven growth pattern here
Local Tip for Woodruff Renters
If a listing site shows an "average rent" for Woodruff that seems oddly low or generic, treat it with caution — one national aggregator's Woodruff data notes that nearly half of what it counts as "rentals" in the area are actually single-family homes, not apartment units in a managed community, and there's no dedicated apartment complex of meaningful size in town beyond the one income-restricted property covered above.
Frequently Asked Questions About Renting in Woodruff
- Are there apartments to rent in Woodruff, SC?
- Very few. Woodruff Arms Apartments, a 36-unit income-restricted (LIHTC) property built in 1984, is the only named apartment community identified in the town as of September 2026. No new market-rate apartment construction was found despite the town's rapid population growth. Most new housing here is single-family subdivisions, not rental apartments.
- What does Woodruff Arms Apartments charge?
- Rent is income-based rather than a flat dollar figure — the property operates under a USDA Section 521 Rental Assistance program, with rent generally set at 30% of a household's adjusted gross income for subsidized units. Eligibility requires household income at or below 80% of the area median. No dollar rent figure or fee schedule could be confirmed from the property's own management site, which was not accessible; every listing source found shows no dollar figure at all.
- Why is Woodruff growing so fast if there's nowhere to rent?
- Woodruff's growth (16.8% in a single year, the fastest of any South Carolina municipality) is driven almost entirely by new single-family subdivisions — more than 6,000 new homes are reportedly planned in the area over five years — not by apartment construction. The growth is tied to nearly $1 billion in nearby industrial investment (a BMW EV battery plant and an Airsys Cooling Technologies headquarters) drawing new residents who are largely buying or renting houses, not apartments.
- Does Woodruff have local tenant protections beyond South Carolina law?
- No local ordinance affecting residential leases has been identified for Woodruff beyond South Carolina's statewide landlord-tenant law, which applies whether you're renting an apartment or a single-family home. The state figures below are what governs.
- Where should I look if I want to rent an apartment near Woodruff?
- Spartanburg, about 17 miles away, and Greenville, about 30 miles away, both have active apartment markets with far more inventory and disclosed pricing than Woodruff currently offers.