Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 338, settled in 1906.
Florence Methodist Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Florence has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 270 in 1910, 337 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1892 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
1 place 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 Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Florence.
The rent at the middle of the market for Florence comes to $817 a month. Florence: 86% of households live in a home they own, above both the South Dakota town median (68%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Home values are up 4.1% over the year to September 2026.
| Florence | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $817 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The public schools here belong to the Florence School District 14-1. Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. The 3 public schools in Florence teach 352 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 179 | C− |
| Florence High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 102 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Only 3 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Florence. Half the trips to work are shorter than 15 miles. The top destinations are Watertown (52%), Sioux Falls (9%) and Rauville Township (3%).
| Florence | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The seasons in Florence: cold, snowy winters, pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 2° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Just over a fifth of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Florence. CDC measures, 26 in all: Florence beats South Dakota on 1 and trails on 1. In Florence, 15% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 19% binge drink. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Florence.
| Florence | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Florence | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More women getting mammograms | 83.1% | 76.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
43% of Florence’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 17%. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in the town than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Florence; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Florence residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Where Florence’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in South Dakota, United States
Florence is a town in northwestern Codington County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Watertown, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 337 at the 2020 census. Florence was named for a lady acquaintance of a railroad employee.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Florence has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.