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Florence vs Sumter

38 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (2.5× in Sumter) and property tax bill (+31% in Sumter).

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Florence, SCHometown of 72 notable peopleSouth Carolina · 40,408 people
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Sumter, SCHometown of 69 notable peopleSouth Carolina · 43,053 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

FlorenceHometown of 72 notable people
Famous people72 notable peopleborn in Florence Work36,958 jobsbased in Florence, a regional job hub SafetySafer than 3%of U.S. towns we grade All about Florence →
SumterHometown of 69 notable people
Famous people69 notable peopleborn in Sumter Outdoors#17 most conserved land in SC20 miles of trails across 16 parks and preserves HistorySettled in 184510 places on the National Register All about Sumter →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails2.5×
Sumter has more miles of trail
Sumter 20.3 miFlorence 8.0 mi
Property tax bill+31%
Tax bills are bigger in Sumter
Sumter $1,123Florence $860
Jobs per worker+61%
Florence is more of a job hub
Florence 2.21Sumter 1.37
Work in town+9.1 pts
More of Florence’s workers stay in town
Florence 40.1%Sumter 31%
Median age4.2 yrs
Florence skews older
Florence 37.8Sumter 33.6
★ What stands out · Report cards

Florence places higher on 13 of 22 SC lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every South Carolina ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
D−FlorenceSafer than 3% of U.S. towns D−SumterSafer than 4% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−FlorenceBetter than 47% of districts in the state C−SumterBetter than 22% of districts in the state
Health
C−FlorenceHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns CSumterHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns
13Florence
8Sumter

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 160 towns #66#145 Best schoolsSchools · 141 towns #43#107 Most remote workersWork · 168 towns #65#106 Most trailsOutdoors · 83 towns #58#38 Most conserved landOutdoors · 148 towns #52#17 Lowest property taxCost of living · 172 towns #46#86 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 42 towns #22#31 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 173 towns #173#138

Left end = #1 in South Carolina. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Florence’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Florence$1,250/mo
Typical home $224K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.41% · or rent about $992/mo · Housing →
Sumter$1,190/mo
Typical home $208K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.56% · or rent about $1,076/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Florence and Sumter.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
FlorenceSumter
Snow a year0″0″
January low—33°F
July high—90°F
Growing season (days)—230d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)67th45th
Outdoors & history
FlorenceSumter
Trails8 mi20 mi
Conserved land2.9%7.4%
Settled—1845
National Register places910
Archive photos1724
Famous people born here7269
Community
FlorenceSumter
Library hours a week53 hrs40 hrs
Colleges in town—3
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

38 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

FlorenceSCSumterSC
Florence ↔ Sumter38 miles apart
Who commutes between them
329 Sumter residents work in Florence (2.2% of its workers)
150 Florence residents work in Sumter (0.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Sumter →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

FlorenceSumter
People
Population 40,408Lowest 43,053Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.7%Highest SC: +10.7% +7.3%Lowest SC: +10.7%
Median age 37.8±1.8Highest 6% below SC 33.6±1.6Lowest 16% below SC
Kids under 18 24.9%±2Lowest SC: 21.4% 26%±2.1Highest SC: 21.4%
Sumter and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.8%±1.5Highest SC: 18.9% 17.6%±1.5Lowest SC: 18.9%
Florence and Sumter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.4%Highest SC: 32.1% 28.7%Lowest SC: 32.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.2%±0.9Lowest SC: 5.7% 6.3%±1Highest SC: 5.7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,143±$4kHighest 19% below SC $55,592±$4kLowest 20% below SC
Florence and Sumter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $211,400±$11kHighest 18% below SC $199,100±$11kLowest 23% below SC
Florence and Sumter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $992±$62Lowest 16% below SC $1,076±$60Highest 9% below SC
Sumter and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $860Lowest 31% below SC $1,123Highest 10% below SC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.1%±6.2Lowest SC: 52.1% 56.2%±5.9Highest SC: 52.1%
Sumter and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 18.9%Highest SC: 14.1% 16.7%Lowest SC: 14.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.4%Highest SC: 71.9% 57.2%Lowest SC: 71.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 9 yrs older than SC 1986Highest 6 yrs older than SC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 27% below SC 20 minHighest 23% below SC
Work from home 11%±3.6Highest SC: 11.5% 6.1%±1.5Lowest SC: 11.5%
Florence and Sumter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 40.1%Highest 31%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.8 miLowest 13.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.21Highest 1.37Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Columbia (3%)Columbia (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Sumter2% work in Florence
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.9%Lowest 7.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 8.0 miLowest 20.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Lowest 16Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 70.8Highest 70.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #43 of 141 in SC#107 of 141 in SC
School district Florence 01Sumter 01
High school in town West Florence HighSumter High School
Students per teacherat that high school 17.3Highest 17.0Lowest
South Carolina average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Florence neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Florence’s Town Square.

Sumter neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sumter’s Town Square.

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Bordering Florence

Q
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Quinby858 people · $165K homes

Towns like Florence

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Easley24,841 people · $264K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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