The Town Files

Florence, Michigan

Township in St. Joseph County · population 1,153 (2020 Census)

Map: where Florence is in MichiganFlorence
Median home
$170,300
Household income
$62,868
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 82°
Snow a year
41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
15
Median age
32.4

Florence is a township of 1,153 people in St. Joseph County, Michigan. The median home is worth $170,300, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900).

How Florence ranks

Percentile among Michigan towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Michigan towns.

Florence lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement29th pctFamilies24th pctQuiet51st pctWalkability41st pctFirst-time buyers41st pctYoung professionals38th pctVibrancy17th pctHip & trendy64th pctCollege town14th pctUpscale24th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling58th pctTransitbottomDriving63rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Florence is worth $170,300, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $62,868, which is more affordable than 61% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,158 a month. 74.3% of households own their home.

Florence vs St. Joseph County vs typical Michigan townFlorenceSt. Joseph CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$170,300$178,300$193,900Household income$62,868$66,425$69,792Monthly rent$1,158$849$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingFlorenceTypical Michigan town
Median home value$170,300$193,900
Median rent$1,158$955
Median household income$62,868$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.7×2.8×
Homeownership74.3%86.8%
Median year built19701975
Seasonal / vacation homes2.4%—

Who lives in Florence

PeopleFlorenceTypical Michigan town
Median age32.443.7
Age 65 and over11.1%20.7%
Under 1835.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher10.8%21.5%
Below the poverty line23.9%10.4%
Veterans4.9%—
Born outside the U.S.2.0%—
Work from home12.9%9.1%
Average commute22.0 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband92.9%88.8%

Weather in Florence

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 16.7°F. About 39.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.2 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 nights at or below freezing.

Florence monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°17°Jan34°18°Feb45°26°Mar58°36°Apr69°48°May79°57°Jun82°61°Jul80°59°Aug74°51°Sep61°40°Oct47°31°Nov36°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.915.02.19.72.33.73.40.64.44.14.04.03.63.73.02.92.49.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Three Rivers station (5.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Florence since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 11, 1965 about 8.5 miles from the town center and killed 5. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 5 deaths and 54 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Florence by decade31950s21960s11970s01980s01990s22000s22010s52020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 33 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on September 10, 1987.

Severe weather in St. Joseph County since 1996

Storm events in St. Joseph County since 1996 by typeHail61Flood5Tornado12High Wind14Ice Storm7Lightning6Heavy Snow16Winter Storm33
NOAA Storm Events Database, St. Joseph County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

St. Joseph County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
June 30, 2004Severe StormDR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in St. Joseph County

St. Joseph County had 21,098 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,550 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Florence itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.

Largest industries in St. Joseph CountyManufacturing7,477 jobs · $71,284Retail2,453 jobs · $34,717Health care & social assistan…2,247 jobs · $37,715Hotels & restaurants1,596 jobs · $19,700Agriculture, forestry & fishi…859 jobs · $53,454Construction741 jobs · $75,206
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in St. Joseph County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023St. Joseph 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Florence

Florence questions

Is Florence, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Florence scores better for retirees than 29% of Michigan towns and quieter than 51%. 11.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.4).

How much does a house cost in Florence?

The median owner-occupied home in Florence is valued at $170,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $62,868, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $1,158 a month.

What is the weather like in Florence?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 16.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.7 inches of precipitation a year and 41.2 inches of snow.

Does Florence get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Florence since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 11, 1965. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Florence's Census boundary (GEOID 2614929060). Comparisons use the median of Michigan towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.