Home Care In Rock Hill, SC

What is the best internet provider in Rock Hill?

Comporium is Rock Hill's best internet service provider, mostly by default, as it's essentially the only high-speed ISP available. That said, Rock Hill residents shouldn't feel "stuck" with Comporium. Speeds, pricing and overall value are decent, especially if your address is eligible for the fiber-optic side of the service. There's also the convenience and pleasantness of dealing with a local company.

There’s a lack of competition, sure, but Comporium has both the cheapest internet and fastest speeds available in Rock Hill. Service starts at $30 to $40 per month for download speeds up to 100 megabits per second, and those eligible for fiber internet service can now get speeds up to 2,000Mbps.

If you’re eager for alternatives, fixed wireless internet from T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet may be available. Each service is decent in its own right, as you’ll find T-Mobile to have slightly better availability, while Verizon has lower intro pricing and faster max speeds.

Our methodology

CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Rock Hill across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.

Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website.

Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what's available in Rock Hill. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Best internet in Rock Hill, South Carolina

3 Internet providers

Best internet provider in Rock Hill, SC

Our take - As a Comporium (fiber) customer, I’ve had consistent speeds and few issues, if any, over six years of service. Even better, my bill has increased by only about $15. Not everyone will have the same experience, of course, but I’m pleased enough with my service to genuinely recommend it.

...

Check with Comporium

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Connection

Cable, fiber

Price range

$30 - $120

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Best fixed wireless internet in Rock Hill, SC

Our take - With a simple setup and straightforward pricing, Verizon 5G Home Internet offers speeds ranging from 50 to 300Mbps or 85 to 1,000Mbps, depending on your chosen plan. The overall value will depend on available speeds, but there are no contract requirements, so you can try it out risk-free to see what speeds you can get.

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Check with Verizon

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Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

85 - 1,000 Mbps

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Best fixed wireless coverage in Rock Hill, SC

Our take - Verizon is cheaper and potentially faster, but T-Mobile Home Internet has the availability advantage in Rock Hill. Roughly 60% of the city is eligible for home internet service, according to recent FCC data, making it the most widely available alternative to Comporium in the area.

Read full review

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Connection

Fixed wireless

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Rock Hill

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Rock Hill depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Rock Hill internet providers, such as Comporium or T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including Verizon 5G Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Rock Hill

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

The first Wednesday of February is a special day for many high school athletes — It’s National Signing Day, the day on which high school athletes can announce their commitments to continue their athletic careers in college.

The tri-county area’s depth of athletic talent was on full display when more than 75 athletes committed to colleges around the country.

Buford had two signees from its football program: Wide receiver Aaron Morris and long snapper Ricky Mckinnon both committed to Newberry.

Morris said he chose Newberry because of its proximity to home, and him attending with a high school teammate sweetens the deal even more.

“Yeah, it does a lot,” Morris said. “It makes you feel more at home.”

Andrew Jackson also had two football players sign Wednesday: Receiver Banks Helms committed to Brevard and tight end Hayden Williams to Limestone.

Athletes of this caliber are a major boost to any team, and not just for their teammates.

“We had a really good senior class, we had 16 seniors,” said Jeremy Smith, who finished his first season as the Volunteers’ head coach this past fall. “The underclassmen, they all bought into what these guys did because of the success they had the year before, and they had bought into that and bought into what kind of players these guys were and they stepped up. These two, Banks and Hayden, they were voted captains and leaders, and it does make your job easier as a coach when it’s more player-led than coach-led. They did a good job of that this year.”

Some signees, like Lewisville two-sport athlete and Clemson baseball commit Dion Brown, still have their senior seasons to play.

Brown said that there’s been some friendly jabs between him and his father, Sheldon Brown, a University of South Carolina football alum, and his best friend, fellow Lewisville two-sport athlete and USC baseball commit Cade Pilgrim. But Brown said that he’s happy with where he decided to attend college.

“They showed me real love since the day I stepped on campus for a camp,” Brown said. “I had a great relationship with Coach (Monte) Lee, but unfortunately, he (got fired). Then Coach (Erik) Bakich came in, he was talking to me. Coach (Nick) Schnabel, I talked to all of them. Built a good relationship with them, and then just really went from there, and it felt the same as with Coach Lee.”

South Pointe signee Zantwan ‘Boss’ Nelson had a magical 24-hour window.

After hitting two game-winning free throws to beat rival Northwestern and secure a playoff spot for the Stallions on Tuesday night, Nelson announced his commitment to play football at Hampton University on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s awesome, it’s awesome,” he said. “You have to take it all in, take it day by day, and never give up on yourself. I feel like (Hampton) is going to be a great fit for me, and I can’t wait to get on campus and work.”

An often-unsung hero of signing days is the athletic director.

They work with athletes to best put them in position to succeed in high school and beyond.

“It feels good, man,” South Pointe athletic director Carlos Richardson said. “Coaches have their season, athletes have their season, but this is kind of my season. Where you want to make sure you’re getting kids where they need to be, but that starts off in the classroom. We’re blessed right now to have student-athletes with great GPAs that we can go out and advocate for them to make sure they can get to the next level.”

Here is a list of student-athletes who have announced their commitments.

Hayden Williams (Football) – Limestone University

Banks Helms (Football) – Brevard College

Ricky Mckinnon (Football) – Newberry College

Aaron Morris (Football) – Newberry College

Aiden Cattarin (Baseball) – Florence-Darlington Technical College

Peyton Dhein (Baseball) – Virginia Military Institute

Brennan Helms (Baseball) – Francis Marion University

Jackson Mullen (Baseball) – College of Charleston

Owen Noonan (Baseball) – Winthrop University

Ben Wilson (Baseball) – Coker University

Dominic Rigoni (Cross Country) – Francis Marion University

Hailey Smith (Dance) – Erskine College

Kyleen Bents (Girls Soccer) – East Carolina University

Sadie Commeford (Girls Soccer) – East Tennessee State University

Peyton Pierson (Girls Soccer) – Mars Hill University

Sarah Sexton (Girls Soccer) – Furman University

Chloe Burger (Softball) – USC Upstate

Audrey Wilson (Softball) – UNC Charlotte

Jake Root (Swimming) – Lynn University

Amelia Nifong (Track) – Columbia College

Olivia Dubrow (Track) – Lehigh University

Elijah Coleman (Football) – TBD

Reggie Heath (Football) – Newberry College

Antonio Hopkins (Football) – Union College

Brayden Woolbright (Football) – Charleston Southern University

Zachary Cheatham (Football) – University of Charleston

Neal Farris (Football) – East Tennessee State University

Deontae Starr (Football) – Lenior-Rhyne

Gabriella Watkins (Dance) – Erskine College

Gavin Brandwood (Football) – Elon University

Remington Clark (Cycling) – Milligan University

Thomas Ealey (Baseball) – Virginia State

MacKenzie Finn (Golf) – Belmont Abbey College

Elijah Grant (Track) – Howard University

Landon Kurtz (Football) – University of South Carolina

Isaac Peña (Baseball) – Snead State

Logan Sulli (Baseball) – Florence-Darlington Technical College

Jack Ammann (Boys Soccer) – Lander University

Hannah Nerdinsky (Girls Soccer) – Coker University

Siena Wilson (Girls Soccer) – University of Mount Olive

Jaxon Scheidt (Football) – Newberry College

Jake Recker (Football) – University of South Carolina

Trey Rodriguez (Football) – Johnson C. Smith University

KJ Davis (Football) – South Carolina Central Christian College

Montre Fletcher (Football) – South Carolina Christian College

Natarious McCullough (Football) – Limestone

Cade Foster (Football) – Brevard

Junior Howze (Football) – Averett

JaQuintus Cousar (Football) – South Carolina Central Christian College

Cade Pilgrim (Baseball) – University of South Carolina

Dion Brown (Baseball) – Clemson University

Mia Royall (Track/Cross Country) – West Point

Vance Ventry (Football) – Newberry College

Elijah Sanders (Baseball) – Florence-Darlington Technical College

Jackson Switzer (Clay Shooting) – Montreat College

Garrett Brown (Distance Running) – Clemson University

Sierra Faulkner (Volleyball) – Clinton College

Xavier Preston (Football) – Newberry College

Mikey Mann (Football) – Newberry College

Daniel Caldwell (Football) – Johnson C. Smith University

Zantwan Nelson (Football) – Hampton University

CJ Dixon (Football) – Catawba College

Malachi Marshall (Football) – Stony Brook University

Ayden Davis (Football) – North Carolina Central University

DeMaurion Stewart (Football) – Livingston College

Zadarrius Carter (Football) – Livingston College

Tay McClure (Football) – St. Andrews College

Michael McConnell (Football) – St. Andrews College

Trey Wanger (Football) – Catawba College

Najib Yunasah (Football) – Catawba College

Dalton Russell (Football) – Limestone College

Bryson Steele (Football) – Wingate College

Debo Hall (Football) – Presbyterian College

Hunter Layne (Football) – TBD

Tyler Koester (Football) – TBD

Javarus Guthrie (Football) – TBD

Anna Kate Dover (Softball) – USC Beaufort

Avery Smith (Softball) – Erskine

This story was originally published February 8, 2024, 6:45 AM.

For customers of a certain age, the name Dank Burrito may require a little explanation. But it’s the burrito part that could trip up just about anybody.

“We’re not Mexican at all,” said company founder Clarke Merrell.

Rock Hill’s newest restaurant — it opens Friday — offers jerk chicken, Cajun fried mahi, cheesesteaks, pork belly and soy ginger pork. There’s teriyaki or honey truffle Buffalo, each in chicken or shrimp. Yes, they’re served in burrito wraps. Or in tacos, bowls and salads. The idea is a chef-inspired worldwide palette, with the convenience of a handheld option.

The result is something owners believe is pretty dank, or “ultra fresh,” as store owner Justin Miller described what makes food ‘dank.’ “(Merrell) likes to say it’s ‘fresh to death.’ High quality.”

The only thing more colorful than the Rock Hill-themed graffiti and “flavor bomb” photos bursting from menu screens on the walls may just be the man who brought both to the city.

Merrell knows the insides of a Sunday morning church service and a tattoo parlor. He’s run a white tablecloth restaurant and popular food truck. Merrell wants to keep Dank Burrito edgy and fun, even down to the menu listings.

“We call them flavor bombs, because that’s what they are,” Merrell said.

Merrell playfully explains there aren’t any microwaves. There’s only a small freezer. Produce comes in and is hand-cut daily for ingredients and sauces. All that cutting is tough on employees, but there’s a reason for it — taste.

“It’s 1,000 times better,” Merrell said.

Customers can choose from favorite flavors or modify most dishes, but what makes Dank different from many burrito places are the set pairings. The pork belly matches the sweet Thai chili sauce.

The ranch slaw goes with the honey truffle options. It’s part of Merrell’s flavor, that chefs can build a better burrito even than customers could create themselves.

“It’s not black or pinto beans, chicken or beef,” Miller said.

Dank Burrito sits in a corner spot at 343 Technology Center Way. Across from the Cambria hotel, it’s right beside the Everbowl craft super food site.

Dank is a soft holler away from the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center one side, and the Power House development on the other. Miller mentioned a pizza place that is expected among several brand new storefronts just beside his.

Merrell didn’t know much about Rock Hill until Miller answered a call out in search of the company’s first franchisee. Dank started in 2014 as a food truck and opened a restaurant the next year in Morehead City, North Carolina.

After Rock Hill, Dank will open two locations in North Carolina and another in Florida. Once Merrell visited Rock Hill, he was sold.

“There’s so much going on in Rock Hill, it was hard to just pick one spot,” he said.

The graffiti walls inside the restaurant tell the story.

There are Football City, USA and Winthrop University logos. An image of the iconic Civitas statue at Dave Lyle and Gateway boulevards joins images of the University Center smoke stacks and White Street train.

Miller lives in Fort Mill but spent time in Rock Hill as an investor in new home projects.

The style, brand and food made him want in on what’s now a 3,400-square-foot restaurant with seating for more than 100 customers. Dank will employ about 25 people. Merrell and Miller agree the University Center site made sense with its proximity to a sports arena, hotel, university and new apartment buildings.

“We knew that there was going to be a lot of energy,” Merrell said.

Dank will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Food will be available on DoorDash, Uber Eats, the Dank Burrito website or its app. There’s a rewards program and a secret menu available on the app.

The company and new store owners know it may take a little time for customers to understand what Dank Burrito is about, but with each trip to the new restaurant they’ll get it.

“They can see the inside and realize it’s fresh and hip, just like our food,” Miller said.

This story was originally published February 6, 2024, 5:50 AM.

City planners want the public's input on what amenities to include in the new 140-acre Southside Regional Park.

ROCK HILL, S.C. — The City of Rock Hill wants public input on plans for a massive regional park.

City planners are designing a 140-acre park with green space, trails, and sports amenities. The goal is to build something that will generate tourism dollars for the city.

The Southside Regional Park will sprawl from Heckle Boulevard to the downtown area.

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"It'll have a baseball component, it will be football, or what I will call rectangle fields," Parks, Recreation and Tourism Operations Supervisor Mark Sexton said.

Sexton told WCNC Charlotte that the park will partially be funded with the city’s hospitality tax, so it must generate tourism dollars.

"This is another opportunity for the City of Rock Hill to just continue to expand on [those] sports tourism opportunities, to have some amenities that we can continue to invite, you know, basically visitors and guests to our community," Sexton said.

According to Sexton, Rock Hill generated $80 million in tourism money last year. He said the future park will be another way to add to that when visitors come to town for sports tournaments and games.

RELATED: Waxhaw leaders approve new 2040 plan and large development Tuesday

"It's a win-win for everyone," Sexton said.

The project encompasses existing parks, like the Arcade Victoria Park, which will get needed upgrades.

"No kids come here like that no more," Rock Hill resident Michael Teasley told WCNC Charlotte. Teasley lives near the park and said it used to be filled with families but now it's quiet.

Jessica, another Rock Hill resident, who didn't share her last name, hopes the renovations will breathe new life into Arcade Victoria Park. "I just think it’d be really good, especially for this area," Jessica said.

Jessica also wants the public sports facilities to come with more youth programs.

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"If they have more, I would say budget-friendly programs for the children to be able to do, it would keep a lot of kids out of the streets," Jessica said.

The entire project is estimated to cost more than $100 million.

Sexton said the city will design a plan over the next two years and wants the public’s input on what amenities to include. A community meeting was held on Tuesday and Sexton said more will be scheduled in the future.

Rock Hill could spend more than $180 million on hospitality and utility projects, pending final bond votes.

Rock Hill City Council gave preliminary approvals Monday night. Council would have to vote once more on each of two bond items. The city can approve the spending without a public referendum, like some other bond spending requires.

Council gave preliminary approval for up to $162 million to fund utility upgrades.

And it would put up to $20 million toward a new indoor sports facility, design of a regional park, renovation of McGirt Auditorium and improvements at Armory Park. Bond money for those projects would be paid back through city hospitality tax revenue. Hospitality tax is a charge on prepared food and drinks (most often at restaurants) used to fund projects that generate tourism.

The first item listed for the funding is an indoor basketball facility and land for it. It’s expected to include four courts in the Knowledge Park area and would be used in conjunction with the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center.

That larger facility opened in late 2019 and has 170,000 square feet of space. There’s a main court with room for eight basketball or 16 volleyball courts, plus a championship court with stadium seating.

Unlike other projects on the parks list, the city hasn’t approved the new indoor recreation site. Including it with the bond list allows the city to fund it if the city goes that route.

“This is putting the mechanism in place to start the ball rolling,” said city manager David Vehaun.

Councilman Kevin Sutton said more discussion is needed on that project. “I’m just not there yet on the additional arena,” Sutton said.

The McGirt Auditorium project is one the city already announced. The 1,100-seat auditorium at Emmett Scott Recreation Center is being renovated to host community events.

The Emmett Scott School opened in 1920 as the first public school for Black students in Rock Hill. It served all grades until 1956 when it became Emmett Scott High School. The auditorium opened in 1960 and was named for the longest-service of six principals at Emmett Scott, the late Ralph Waldo McGirt.

The city bought the property after the school closed in 1970 due to integration.

Rock Hill also announced plans for a new regional park on 100 acres. There’s an online survey to gauge community interest in various park elements.

The park will go on a series of parcels from Heckle Boulevard to the Main and Black streets area downtown. The west side will include sports fields used to generate tourism. Other spaces are still to be determined.

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November 29, 2023 11:38 AM

The other listed item in the hospitality tax-backed bond is a grant match for Armory Park. The 4-acre neighborhood park on Confederate Avenue has baseball or softball fields, trails, a playground and shelter.

In the bigger utility upgrades plan, most of the $162 million would go toward sewer plant expansion.

City chief financial officer Anne Harty said the city started planning for water and sewer upgrades at least as far back as 2015. The city completed its water filter plant expansion and now turns to wastewater. Ongoing expansion will increase sewer capacity from 20 million gallons per day to 30 million.

The city began increasing utility rates almost a decade ago in anticipation of water and wastewater expansion needs.

Rock Hill draws water from Lake Wylie and the Catawba River. The city then distributes that water almost everywhere else in York County.

Rate increases for Rock Hill expansion have led to pass-along increases for many customers outside the city. Mayor John Gettys said increased capacity at the city water filter or wastewater plants also serves those customers.

“That doesn’t just benefit the ratepayers in Rock Hill,” Gettys said. “That helps folks in one side or another in Fort Mill, Tega Cay, the Catawba Indian Nation, York County and the city of York.”

Of the $162 million, $8 million would be used to develop an electric substation to support new development on the south side of Rock Hill. Ongoing efforts like Clinton ConNEXTion and a Southside Redevelopment Plan aim to transform parts of the city that haven’t yet experienced the investment and rebirth areas like Knowledge Park or downtown have in recent years.

City officials say the substation would serve that area, but also the larger city by creating loops — ways of rerouting power from one area to another — during outages that can switch power and turn lights back on quicker. The city serves more than 40,000 customers with electric service.