Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Florence grades D overall, 136th of 167 graded towns in South Carolina, mostly because of safety and health. Its police reported 257 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 97% of U.S. towns. Residents are less healthy than 76% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. One bright spot: its public schools beat 72% of South Carolina towns on state tests and graduation. 40% of working residents work locally in Florence, above both the South Carolina town median (6.1%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Florence has 9 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Florence National Cemetery and U.S. Post Office.
Where Florence beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Houston Person
Census counts: 1,914 in 1880, 39,899 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1897 and 2 maps from 1940 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), 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 Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Florence.
Florence draws workers from Darlington and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports property crime at about twice the South Carolina rate.
Property crime runs at 45.7 per 1,000 residents, about twice the South Carolina rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 2,254 to 2,138 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Florence is 45.7 per 1,000 residents. Florence reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less. The violent crime rate in Florence is 6.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Florence | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 45.7 per 1,000 residents | 21.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Florence 01 school district. Three of its 22 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John W. Moore MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,056 | B− |
| West Florence HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,827 | A |
| South Florence HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,580 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
36,958 jobs are based in Florence, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.7 minutes, against 25.6 across South Carolina.
Florence’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Jobs based in Florence grew to 36,958 in 2023, 1,853 more than in 2013. Florence’s median household income is $56,000.
| Florence | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 11% | 8.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 7,762 U.S. towns with household incomes like Florence’s, it is less healthy than 56%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
43% of adults have high blood pressure in Florence. Florence beats the South Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 16% of adults have diabetes in Florence.
| Florence | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 80% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Florence | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.9% | 8.9% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 17.9% | 13.3% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.4% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Florence home is worth about $225,000, up 3.1% in a year, 26% below the South Carolina typical home. 58% of Florence households own their home.
| Florence | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $992 a month | $1,062 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
8.0 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Florence Soccer Complex, at 132 acres.
| Florence | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Park | 0.5 mi | 6 |
| 2. Florence Soccer Complex | — | 132 |
| 3. Jeffries Creek Park | 0.1 mi | 55 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Florence has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 34° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1989, 61 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Florence.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the South Carolina average. Florence has grown 3.1% since 2020, to 41,231 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across South Carolina.
| Florence | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.8 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 23% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.7 points). Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 39.1, men 36.2.
| Florence | SC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 12.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.5% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.7% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.8% | 28.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.1% | 19.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.9% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.9% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
2 within 15 miles of the center of Florence
About 4 of every 100 Florence residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Where Florence’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
9 places in Florence on the National Register of Historic Places.
54 notable people were born in Florence.
City in South Carolina, United States
Florence () is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropolitan area. The area forms the core of the historical Pee Dee region of South Carolina, which includes the eight counties of northeastern South Carolina, along with sections of southeastern North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 39,899, making it the 10th-most-populous city in the state. One of the major cities in South Carolina, Florence was named an All-American City in 1965, presented by the National Civic League. The c…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Florence.
Quinby 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 D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #136 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades C− for health, D− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 27% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
54 notable people were born here, including Houston Person and Trey Lorenz.
