Jobs & Economy in Florence
Florence's economy runs on two real, genuinely distinctive anchors: its position at the I-95/I-20 interstate crossroads (a real logistics/distribution hub framed as halfway between Miami and New York) and McLeod Health's large regional healthcare system, headquartered in Florence with a 7-hospital network.
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Learn moreA real, current interstate-crossroads logistics identity
Florence County sits directly at the intersection of I-95 and I-20, a genuinely distinguishing regional-hub position among the four SC markets in this wave. This is reinforced by CSX's largest railway yard in South Carolina and Florence Regional Airport, together supporting a real, current identity as a distribution and logistics center for the Pee Dee region -- county economic-development materials specifically target food/beverage and electric-vehicle-supplier companies as growth targets.
McLeod Health: a real, large-scale regional healthcare employment anchor
McLeod Health, headquartered in Florence and founded in 1906, operates a real 7-hospital network (Florence, Dillon, Manning, Cheraw, Loris, Little River, Myrtle Beach). Its employee count carried genuine, disclosed disagreement across sources this pass -- roughly 10,000 to 18,000 depending on citation -- but it consistently ranks among the Florence area's 20 largest employers and earned Forbes recognition as a top South Carolina employer.
A genuinely diverse job base, not a single-employer town
Between McLeod Health's healthcare-sector employment and the logistics/distribution jobs tied to Florence's I-95/I-20 position, the city has a real, genuinely diverse employment base rather than dependence on one dominant employer -- a meaningful structural advantage relative to a true single-employer company town.
Real, if modest, population growth supports continued economic activity
Florence shows real, if modest, population growth at every geographic scale reviewed -- the city (+3.76% since 2020), the county (+0.14% annually), and the broader metro area -- a real, disclosed contrast to Sumter's own disclosed city-level population decline, and a genuine sign of continued economic vitality.
Key takeaways
- Florence's I-95/I-20 interstate-crossroads position, CSX's largest SC rail yard, and Florence Regional Airport together give the city a real, current logistics/distribution economic identity.
- McLeod Health (headquartered in Florence, founded 1906, 7-hospital network) is a real, large-scale regional healthcare employer, though its exact employee count (10,000-18,000 depending on source) carries genuine cross-source disagreement.
- Florence's job base is genuinely diverse across healthcare and logistics/distribution, rather than dependent on one dominant employer.
- Florence shows real, if modest, population growth at every geographic scale (city, county, metro) reviewed this pass.
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