The Town Files

Florence, Minnesota

Township in Goodhue County · population 1,555 (2020 Census)

Map: where Florence is in MinnesotaFlorence
Median home
$366,800
Household income
$109,432
Jan low / Jul high
6° / 82°
Snow a year
34 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
50.3

Florence is a township of 1,555 people in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $366,800, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for retirees than 97% of Minnesota towns, better for cycling than 90% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 88% of Minnesota towns.

How Florence ranks

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

Florence lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement97th pctFamilies28th pctQuiet83rd pctWalkability52nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals61st pctVibrancy21st pctHip & trendy55th pctCollege town48th pctUpscale76th pctVacation homes88th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling90th pctTransit53rd pctDriving56th 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 $366,800, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $109,432, which is more affordable than 50% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,275 a month. 93.5% of households own their home.

Florence vs Goodhue County vs typical Minnesota townFlorenceGoodhue CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$366,800$285,100$301,800Household income$109,432$84,171$87,375Monthly rent$1,275$966$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingFlorenceTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$366,800$301,800
Median rent$1,275$991
Median household income$109,432$87,375
Home value ÷ income3.4×3.4×
Homeownership93.5%88.6%
Median year built19791979
Seasonal / vacation homes16.4%—

Who lives in Florence

PeopleFlorenceTypical Minnesota town
Median age50.342.7
Age 65 and over25.7%20.0%
Under 1817.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher34.9%26.2%
Below the poverty line2.4%6.9%
Veterans8.2%—
Born outside the U.S.0.6%—
Work from home8.9%11.1%
Average commute23.0 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband87.4%90.2%

Weather in Florence

July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 5.7°F. About 32.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 33.5 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 154 nights at or below freezing.

Florence monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing23°6°Jan28°9°Feb41°22°Mar56°36°Apr68°48°May78°58°Jun82°62°Jul80°60°Aug73°52°Sep59°39°Oct42°26°Nov29°14°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.86.40.911.91.76.32.91.84.10.35.13.84.53.72.50.31.61.31.05.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Red Wing Dam 3 station (13.9 mi away); snow from Lake City (6.5 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Florence since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on July 5, 2016 about 7.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 9, 2022.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Florence by decade11950s21960s01970s11980s01990s02000s22010s12020s
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 57 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on April 13, 2026.

Severe weather in Goodhue County since 1996

Storm events in Goodhue County since 1996 by typeHail140Flood9Tornado27Blizzard10High Wind11Heavy Rain20Heavy Snow21Flash Flood20
NOAA Storm Events Database, Goodhue County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Goodhue County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 28, 2024FloodDR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3453: Covid-19
June 12, 2019FloodDR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
November 2, 2016FloodDR-4290: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Goodhue County

Goodhue County had 21,366 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,513 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Florence itself the ACS puts it at 4%.

Largest industries in Goodhue CountyManufacturing4,647 jobs · $70,052Health care & social assistan…2,750 jobs · $59,657Retail2,133 jobs · $36,241Hotels & restaurants1,869 jobs · $22,719Construction852 jobs · $78,711Wholesale trade728 jobs · $80,035
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Goodhue County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Goodhue 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Florence

Florence questions

Is Florence, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Florence scores better for retirees than 97% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 83%. 25.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.3).

How much does a house cost in Florence?

The median owner-occupied home in Florence is valued at $366,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $109,432, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $1,275 a month.

What is the weather like in Florence?

July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 5.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.4 inches of precipitation a year and 33.5 inches of snow.

Does Florence get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Florence since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 5, 2016. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Florence's Census boundary (GEOID 2704921392). Comparisons use the median of Minnesota 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.