Florence County Courthouse and Jail · National Register of Historic Places
Florence’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 maps from 1947 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1880Florence is settled
FlorenceWI
Trash day: Tuesday9 bordering townsMap →
Florence Town Hall · Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0
Population
2,193
2025 Census estimate · +4.1% since 2020
Typical home
$233K
+5.8% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
55.7
years
Jobs based here
782
Balanced
Is Florence a good place to live?
The best of Florence’s subject grades is an A for the outdoors; the weakest is a C− for walkability. Florence’s median age is 55.7 years, against 42.1 years in Wisconsin’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Only 78 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on incomes. 58% of the land in Florence is conserved, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 3.8% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area, at 2,960 acres with 12.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. On the outdoors, just 57 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Florence has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Florence stand out
Where Florence beats most towns.
Get outside
180 miles of trails in Florence
57.6% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Florence grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Florence is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 4% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 2.7% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income$59K median household incomeC−Open →SchoolsC+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →HealthLess healthy than 58% of U.S. towns; Dickinson County Memorial Hospital 17.2 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Florence: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Florence, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFlorence Utility CommissionNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers66% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown of Florence ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5412154121 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Florence.
OutdoorsA
Nearly a third of Florence is conserved land
180 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density in Florence is 1.2 miles per square mile.
57.6%conserved
57.6%
conserved · 57,613 of 100,098 acres
180 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area | 12.9 mi | 2,960 |
| 2. Wilderness Shores Recreation Area | 3.3 mi | 1,116 |
| 3. Florence County Forest | 1.8 mi | 1,277 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
Florence’s schools rank behind 65% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Florence County School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
35%of WI districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 197 | B− |
| Florence HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 116 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Very low risk in Florence, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 96% of U.S. communities.
4risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B
Florence’s typical home value is about $233K
The typical Florence home is worth about $233,000, up 5.8% in a year, 31% below the Wisconsin typical home. 88% of households own their home in Florence.
$233KZillow home value
| Florence | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $869 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Florence$233K
Wisconsin$337K
+5.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 10% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 28% of residents (19% statewide). 14% of Florence residents are under 18. Florence has grown 4.1% since 2020, to 2,193 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
55.7median age · WI 40.2
| Florence | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 14% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 28% | 20% | 18% |
FlorenceWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school32%
Some college16%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.6 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Florence | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.1% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.5% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22.6% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.1% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.3% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.8% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.8% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,200, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Florence has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Florence has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Florence’s July high is 79°F.
66″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–25°
Spring26–52°
Summer51–77°
Fall33–54°
Sep 25
typical first frost
May 24
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Florence’s workers commute out
About one in 4 of Florence’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Florence grew to 782 in 2023, 148 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Iron Mountain (20%), Kingsford (7%) and Breitung Township (4%).
27%work in town
| Florence | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Florence27%
Iron Mountain20%
Kingsford7%
Breitung Township4%
Green Bay2%
11 mi
median commute distance
782
jobs based in Florence
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 22% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC+
Florence stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a larger share of its adults have high blood pressure
Only 1 of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Florence. Florence beats the Wisconsin average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.
42%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Florence | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
7 better15 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Florence | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.5% | 9.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 12.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 6.6% |
Dickinson County Memorial Hospital
17.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Florence
17pages on Florence
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Florence; the nearest are
Nicolet Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rhinelander55.3 mi$4,793 in-state tuitionNorthern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Marquette, MI63.7 mi$14,277 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Florence residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Landmarks
4 places in Florence on the National Register of Historic Places.
Florence’s neighbors
9 towns share a border with Florence.
Mastodon TownshipBreitung TownshipStambaugh TownshipAuroraCommonwealthFernTiplerLong LakeFenceFlorence
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | — | — | B | — | C+ | C+ |
| Aurora | — | — | A | — | C+ | C |
| Commonwealth | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fern | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tipler | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Long Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fence | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Florence and Aurora have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Florence and Aurora report no FBI crime data of their own. Commonwealth, Fern, Tipler, Long Lake and Fence aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Florence with a neighbor →
Questions about Florence
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Florence, WI expensive?
That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($64,552 across the Iron Mountain, MI-WI 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.