Florence, AL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Alabama·Florence

Lauderdale County · Florence-Muscle Shoals · population 42,716

First-time buyers
Florence, AL
Image: Wikipedia · Florence, Alabama
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Florence stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $210,601
1-year +1.8%
5-yr CAGR +5.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +1.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$211k$114k$149k$184k$219k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,330/mo$1,034$1,222$1,41020242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10912110012020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.2
Buy

At a 13.2 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Florence on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.2 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
59 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
66 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
73 · w16%
Rent YoY
78 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
64 · w10%
Long thesis

Florence has held up across the cycle: home values at $210,601 with +5.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Florence's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Florence

Florence is a city in Lauderdale County, Alabama, with an estimated population of 42,716. It anchors the Florence-Muscle Shoals metro area. The population grew 1.5% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Florence is $210,601 as of 2026-04, up 1.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Florence average $1,330 per month, up 4.9% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Net positive migration: population up 1.5% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Florence (Wikipedia)

Florence is a city in and the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner, and had a population of 40,184 in the 2020 census. Florence is located along the Tennessee River and is home to the University of North Alabama, the oldest public college in the state. Florence is located about 70 miles (110 km) west of Huntsville, Alabama, via US-72, and about 115 miles (185 km) northwest of Birmingham, Alabama.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Lauderdale County right now.

NWS active alerts (AL)Alabama Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Lauderdale County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Florence

Albertville, AL69 · RisingEnterprise, AL70 · RisingHelena, AL70 · RisingHartselle, AL69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Florence

ToolCan I afford Florence?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Florence rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Florence to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolFlorence cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
56° / 36°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
91° / 71°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
215
~59% of year
Annual precip
58″ rain
1″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Florence listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Florence-Muscle Shoals area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$56,900
Alabama state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareRetail

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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