Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 9,468, settled in 1879. 82% more nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
Florence grades D overall, 114th among Oregon's 142 graded towns, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $53K, and 10% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 95% of U.S. towns. 43% of residents are 65 or older in Florence, where Oregon’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. Florence's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns. Florence has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Edwin E. Benedict House.
Where Florence beats most towns.
8,466 counted in 2010 and 9,396 in 2020; an estimated 9,468 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 11% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Florence is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 68 in 1880, 9,396 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 4 maps from 1920 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 Oct 2, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Florence.
Florence is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall beyond ordinary swings.
Its public schools are run by Siuslaw SD 97J. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Siuslaw High School, with 413 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siuslaw Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 519 | C |
| Siuslaw High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 413 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Florence.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4.6 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Three Mile Prairie County Park, at 121 acres.
| Florence | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Miller Park | 1.1 mi | 20 |
| 2. Three Mile Prairie County Park | 0.7 mi | 121 |
| 3. Singing Pines Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons average 66.1°, cooler than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.8°.
Florence’s July high is 66°F. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 6 have a higher January low than Florence. Florence has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain.
| Florence | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 66°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 36°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 213 to 187 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Florence is 19.2 per 1,000 residents. Only 3 of the 75 Oregon towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Florence. Within Oregon, it does better than 59% of towns.
| Florence | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.2 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 3,029 working residents takes 15 minutes, against 23 across Oregon. Jobs based here grew from 2,681 in 2013 to 3,761.
42% of Florence’s working residents work right in town. Since 2013, Florence has added 1,080 jobs, to 3,761 in 2023. Only 8 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a lower median household income than Florence.
| Florence | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 42% | 9.5% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Florence home is worth about $445,000, up 0.8% in a year, 10% below the Oregon typical home.
| Florence | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,259 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 6,890 U.S. towns with household incomes like Florence’s, it is healthier than 81%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
45% of adults have high blood pressure in Florence. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Florence. 25% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Florence.
| Florence | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Florence | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.2% | 15.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.3% | 71.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 15.2% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Florence; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Florence residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
3 places in Florence on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Oregon, United States
Florence is a coastal city in Lane County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It lies at the mouth of the Siuslaw River on the Pacific Ocean and about midway between Newport to the north and Coos Bay to the south along U.S. Route 101. As of August 14, 2023, the city has a total population of 9,553.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Florence.
| Town | OR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | #114 | D | D | C+ | C | B− |
| Heceta Beach | #115 | D | C | — | C | B+ |
Heceta Beach reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Florence with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Florence grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #114 of 142 in Oregon. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Oregon, it does better than 59% of towns.
Yes. That is 6.2 years of the area's median household income ($71,544 across the Eugene-Springfield, OR metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
