Cost of Living in Florence
Florence's cost of living centers on genuinely low housing and rent costs -- a Zillow typical home value of $205,563 and rent averaging $1,205/month -- alongside South Carolina's real, current two-bracket state income tax (1.99%/5.21% for 2026) and the lowest effective property tax rate (0.42%) among the four SC markets in this wave.
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Learn moreHousing: genuinely affordable, with a real disclosed price spread
Zillow's typical home value for Florence was cited at $205,563 (up 2.3% year-over-year), while a separate Redfin-sourced price-tier breakdown for January 2026 cited a $250,000 mid-tier median sale price (with starter homes around $169,370 and high-tier homes around $360,246). Whatever the precise current figure, Florence reads as genuinely affordable relative to national medians.
Rent: a real, wide-but-affordable spread
Rent trackers cited an overall average of $1,205/month for Florence, within a broader disclosed range of $820-$1,392/month depending on source and unit mix. By unit type: studios averaged $614, 1-bedrooms $1,107, 2-bedrooms $1,216, and 3-bedrooms $1,280 -- genuinely affordable across every unit type reviewed.
South Carolina's real two-bracket income tax and Florence's combined sales tax
South Carolina applies a genuine two-bracket income tax for 2026 under Act 110: 1.99% on the first $30,000 of taxable income, 5.21% above that -- not a no-income-tax state and not a flat-rate state. Florence's combined sales tax runs 8% (6% state + 1% city + 1% county/special district). See taxes for the full breakdown, including the real, coordinated-not-additive senior deduction.
The lowest property tax rate among the four SC markets in this wave
Florence County's effective property tax rate was cited at approximately 0.42%, below the South Carolina statewide average of 0.51%-0.54% and the lowest among Sumter (~0.53%), Aiken (~0.48%), and Lexington (~0.49%) -- a real, meaningful cost advantage that compounds with Florence's already-affordable housing prices.
Key takeaways
- Florence's housing-price sourcing showed a real, disclosed spread this pass ($205,563 Zillow typical value vs. $250,000 Redfin mid-tier median) -- treat any single figure as directional.
- Rent runs a genuinely affordable $820-$1,392/month depending on source and unit type, averaging $1,205/month overall.
- South Carolina's real two-bracket income tax (1.99%/5.21% for 2026) applies statewide; Florence's combined sales tax is 8%.
- Florence's effective property tax rate (~0.42%) is the lowest among the four SC markets in this wave, below South Carolina's own already-low statewide average.
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