Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Florence gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $214K, 3.5 years of the Florence metro’s $62K median household income. It grades C overall, 92nd of 187 graded towns in Alabama. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its crime rate is higher than 87% of U.S. towns, with 235 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and the median household income is $52K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. 41% of working residents work locally in Florence, above both the Alabama town median (9.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Wilson Dam and Karsner-Carroll House. Only 23 of Alabama’s 308 towns score higher on walkability.
Where Florence beats most towns.
Wilson Dam
Sam Phillips| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills School | K–5 | 906 |
| Hibbett Elementary School | K–6 | 489 |
| Weeden Elementary School | K–5 | 477 |
Wilson Dam is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 35 National Register listings are more than in 95% of Alabama towns with a listing.
Census counts: 802 in 1850, a low of 802 in 1850, 40,184 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1837 and 4 maps from 1916 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Florence is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Florence, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Florence.
Florence draws workers from Muscle Shoals and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has milder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Alabama.
18 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. Florence’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is McFarland Park, 344 acres with 3.7 miles of trail.
| Florence | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.8% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wildwood Park | 7.4 mi | 189 |
| 2. McFarland Park | 3.7 mi | 344 |
| 3. Florence Sportsplex | — | 137 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Florence City school district. Three of its 13 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 906 | A |
| Florence High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | 1,101 | B |
| Kilby Laboratory SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 187 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
22,642 jobs are based in Florence, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.7 minutes, against 25.5 across Alabama.
The average trip to work in Florence is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Muscle Shoals (11%), Huntsville (6%) and Sheffield (4%).
| Florence | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 6.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Florence reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 87% report less. Within Alabama, it does better than 35% of towns.
| Florence | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 6,522 U.S. towns with household incomes like Florence’s, it is healthier than 53%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income. Within Alabama it is less healthy than 52% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
Florence beats the Alabama average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 43% of Florence adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Florence | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 43% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 14% |
| What stands out | Florence | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.1% | 15.4% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.4% | 9.8% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 82.8% | 85.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Adults 18 to 34 are 32% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Florence. Florence has grown 6% since 2020, to 42,581 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Florence | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.1 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 23% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
About 83 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.2 points). Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.5, men 33.8.
| Florence | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 18% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.1% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.1% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.8% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.7% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.3% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.3% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.1% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.7% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.9% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.6% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
January nights average 30.3°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 96% of Alabama places with climate records; July afternoons average 90.5°.
Florence has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 187 Alabama towns, just 4 have a lower January low than Florence. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Florence | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
| January low | 30°F | 33°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Florence home is worth about $214,000, up 2.8% in a year, 10% below the Alabama typical home.
| Florence | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $820 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 40% | 46% | 48% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Florence.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Florence. Close and well known come first.
4 mi MuseumMuscle Shoals Sound Studio
12 mi ParkwayNatchez Trace Parkway8.0M visitors a year9 mi MuseumAlabama Music Hall of Fame30 mi MuseumApron MuseumMuscle Shoals Sound Studio: Dailynetworks, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Natchez Trace Parkway: Carol M. Highsmith (1946–), Public domain
3 within 15 miles of the center of Florence
About 14 of every 100 Florence residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
2 colleges in town.
35 places in Florence on the National Register of Historic Places.
58 notable people were born in Florence.
City in and county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama
Florence is a city located in and the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner. It has a population of 40,184 in the 2020 census. Florence is located along the Tennessee River and is home to the University of North Alabama, the oldest public college in the state. Florence is located about 70 miles (110 km) west of Huntsville, Alabama, via US-72, and about 115 miles (185 km) northwest of Birmingham, Alabama. Florence is the largest and principal city of the "Quad Cities," more commonly known as "The Shoals," which also includes the cities of Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia in Colbert County and which collectively had a population of…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Florence.
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | #92 | C | B+ | D | B+ | C |
| Underwood-Petersville | #24 | A− | A | — | B+ | C+ |
| St. Florian | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Underwood-Petersville reports no FBI crime data of its own. St. Florian isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Florence with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Florence grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #92 of 187 in Alabama. It grades C for health, D for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Alabama, it does better than 35% of towns.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
58 notable people were born here, including Sam Phillips and W. C. Handy.
