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Of about 17,285 rented homes in the Florence area, 99% rent for under $2,000 a month and 100% for under $3,000.
Under $1,000: 77%
$1,000 to $1,499: 19%
$1,500 to $1,999: 3%
$2,000 to $2,499: 1%
$2,500 to $2,999: 0%
$3,000 or more: 0%
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Hiring movers
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
Moving in as a renter
The middle rented home in the Florence area rents for under $1,000 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about under $2,000 for first month plus a deposit, or up to under $3,000 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For rent under $1,000, that's a yearly income of about under $36,000.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Alabama: before and after
Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Alabama DMV.
Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Schools
2 public school districts in this county, with about 12,725 students in all. The county also has 4 private schools. Which public school serves a home depends on its address.
Public Public charter Private District that covers the center of Florence: Florence City School District
District lines: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. Tap a dot for details. A home's assigned school depends on its address; check with the district before you buy or rent.
Closest public schools to the center of Florence
Elementary
Harlan Elementary School1.2 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 4 · 389 students · 13 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 30 to 34%, math 20 to 24% (state: reading 47%, math 27%)
Weeden Elementary School1.3 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 4 · 422 students · 16.9 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 35 to 39%, math 25 to 29% (state: reading 47%, math 27%)
Forest Hills School1.5 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 4 · 827 students · 15 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 69%, math 59% (state: reading 47%, math 27%)
Middle
Florence Middle School1.5 mi
Public
grades 7 to 8 · 649 students · 17.5 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 50%, math 28% (state: reading 47%, math 27%)
Hibbett School2.0 mi
Public
grades 5 to 6 · 576 students · 17.5 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 45%, math 39% (state: reading 47%, math 27%)
Kilby Laboratory School2.0 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 6 · 201 students
Passed the state test: reading 80 to 84%, math 70 to 74% (state: reading 47%, math 27%)
High school
Florence High School0.3 mi
Public
grades 10 to 12 · 1,074 students · 17.9 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 27%, math 21% (state: reading 47%, math 27%)
Florence Freshman Center0.4 mi
Public
grade 9 · 381 students · 21.2 per teacher
Wilson High School6.7 mi
Public
grades 7 to 12 · 599 students · 15 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 44%, math 27% (state: reading 47%, math 27%)
Private
Mars Hill Bible School1.1 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 12 · 506 students · 12.5 per teacher
St Joseph Regional Catholic School1.7 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 8 · 109 students · 10.9 per teacher
Shoals Christian School2.3 mi
Private
grades K to 12 · 216 students · 8.8 per teacher
Straight-line miles from the center of Florence, nearest first. Being closest doesn't mean a school serves a given home. "Passed the state test" is the share of students who scored proficient or better on Alabama's own reading and math tests in the 2021-22 school year, the latest year the U.S. Department of Education has published for every school. Each state sets its own test and passing bar, so compare schools within the same state, not across states. Test results track family income closely and leave out a lot (teachers, programs, how a school fits your child). For newer results, see the state's school report card.
4,645 students · 17.5 students per teacher · 9 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
School choice and pre-K in Alabama
Going to school in another district
State law doesn't set an open enrollment rule between districts. Transfers, where allowed, are up to the districts.
Picking a different school in your district
State law doesn't set a rule for switching schools within a district; it's up to each district.
Free state pre-K
40% of 4-year-olds in Alabama attend state-funded pre-K (U.S.: 37% and 9%). Spots, hours and who qualifies vary by district.
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Daycare and preschool
Alabama keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
Age
Daycare center
Home daycare
Infant (under 2)
$136/week
about $7,100 a year
$146/week
about $7,600 a year
Toddler (2)
$135/week
about $7,000 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)
$127/week
about $6,600 a year
$140/week
about $7,300 a year
School-age
$113/week
about $5,900 a year
For an infant at a center: $136/week here, $136 across AL, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 9% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.
The facts behind it
Typical home value
$215,246
What a typical home sells for across the Florence area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Cost of living
About 15% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $85 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 84.8 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 2 hr 27 min at rush hour
To downtown Nashville, TN, 122 miles. About 2 hr 26 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
25 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $3,633 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in AL. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
1 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
17.4 per 100,000 people a year
17 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. AL average: 16 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 8.3 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 227 people without housing in the Florence/Northwest Alabama area (6 counties): 135 in shelters and 92 outside, up from 210 in 2024. AL: 8 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Unemployment
3.1%
The share of people looking for work who can't find it, averaged over the year. U.S.: about 4%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
Median household income
$59,082
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.38% of home value a year
About $380 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5%
AL's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
