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Sumter vs Florence

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

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Sumter, SCHometown of 69 notable peopleSouth Carolina · 43,053 people
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Florence, SCHometown of 72 notable peopleSouth Carolina · 40,408 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.

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

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

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

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

Sumter$1,190/mo
Typical home $208K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.56% · or rent about $1,076/mo · Housing →
Florence$1,250/mo
Typical home $224K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.41% · or rent about $992/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
SumterFlorence
Snow a year0″0″
January low33°F—
July high90°F—
Growing season (days)230d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)45th67th
Outdoors & history
SumterFlorence
Trails20 mi8 mi
Conserved land7.4%2.9%
Settled1845—
National Register places109
Archive photos2417
Famous people born here6972
Community
SumterFlorence
Library hours a week40 hrs53 hrs
Colleges in town3—
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.

SumterSCFlorenceSC
Sumter ↔ Florence38 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.

SumterFlorence
People
Population 43,053Highest 40,408Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.3%Lowest SC: +10.7% +7.7%Highest SC: +10.7%
Median age 33.6±1.6Lowest 16% below SC 37.8±1.8Highest 6% below SC
Kids under 18 26%±2.1Highest SC: 21.4% 24.9%±2Lowest 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+ 17.6%±1.5Lowest SC: 18.9% 17.8%±1.5Highest 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+ 28.7%Lowest SC: 32.1% 30.4%Highest SC: 32.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.3%±1Highest SC: 5.7% 4.2%±0.9Lowest SC: 5.7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $55,592±$4kLowest 20% below SC $56,143±$4kHighest 19% 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 $199,100±$11kLowest 23% below SC $211,400±$11kHighest 18% 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 $1,076±$60Highest 9% below SC $992±$62Lowest 16% 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 $1,123Highest 10% below SC $860Lowest 31% below SC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56.2%±5.9Highest SC: 52.1% 54.1%±6.2Lowest 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 16.7%Lowest SC: 14.1% 18.9%Highest SC: 14.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 57.2%Lowest SC: 71.9% 58.4%Highest SC: 71.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1986Highest 6 yrs older than SC 1983Lowest 9 yrs older than SC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 23% below SC 19 minLowest 27% below SC
Work from home 6.1%±1.5Lowest SC: 11.5% 11%±3.6Highest 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 31%Lowest 40.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.3 miHighest 5.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.37Lowest 2.21Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Columbia (7%)Columbia (3%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Florence1% work in Sumter
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.4%Highest 2.9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 20.3 miHighest 8.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 16Highest 11Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 70.5Lowest 70.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #107 of 141 in SC#43 of 141 in SC
School district Sumter 01Florence 01
High school in town Sumter High SchoolWest Florence High
Students per teacherat that high school 17.0Lowest 17.3Highest
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.

Sumter neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sumter’s Town Square.

Florence neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Florence’s Town Square.

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Bordering Sumter

S
+ Compare
South Sumter1,626 people · $70K homes
M
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Mulberry474 people · $149K homes
E
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East Sumter943 people · $73K homes
L
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Lakewood3,544 people · $294K homes

Towns like Sumter

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Spartanburg38,910 people · $204K homes
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Anderson30,051 people · $218K homes
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Rock Hill75,259 people · $295K homes
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Goose Creek48,078 people · $306K 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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