Florence, SC vs The Villages, FL: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, The Villages, FL is 1.6% less expensive than Florence, SC (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Florence works out to about $73,800 in The Villages, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is everyday costs rather than housing: goods are 0.1% lower and other services 0.6% higher in The Villages, while housing is 1.3% lower.
- Typical asking rent is $1,723 a month in The Villages and $1,516 in Florence, $2,484 a year more in The Villages (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $388,000 in The Villages and $193,000 in Florence.
- The gap has narrowed since 2019, when The Villages was 7.5% more expensive than Florence.
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Everyday costs, not housing, drive the gap between Florence and The Villages
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Florence, SC
- The Villages, FL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Florence, SC | The Villages, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 86.8 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Housing (rents) | 52.4 | 51.7 |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.9 |
| Category | Florence | The Villages | The Villages vs Florence |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 86.8 | 85.4 | −1.6% |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 | −0.1% |
| Housing (rents) | 52.4 | 51.7 | −1.3% |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 89.0 | +1.4% |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.9 | +0.6% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,516 | $1,723 | +13.7% |
| Typical home value | $193,000 | $388,000 | +100.6% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Florence | $75,000 | $73,800 | −1.6% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Florence and The Villages has narrowed since 2008: 5.9 points then, 1.3 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Florence, SC
- The Villages, FL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Florence, SC | The Villages, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 84.5 | 90.4 |
| 2009 | 85.2 | 91.8 |
| 2010 | 87.3 | 91.0 |
| 2011 | 88.6 | 90.4 |
| 2012 | 89.6 | 93.0 |
| 2013 | 88.8 | 93.4 |
| 2014 | 88.4 | 93.1 |
| 2015 | 89.9 | 93.7 |
| 2016 | 89.5 | 93.8 |
| 2017 | 88.7 | 91.3 |
| 2018 | 88.1 | 93.3 |
| 2019 | 87.6 | 94.2 |
| 2020 | 86.4 | 92.1 |
| 2021 | 90.5 | 96.0 |
| 2022 | 87.8 | 91.1 |
| 2023 | 88.2 | 94.5 |
| 2024 | 86.8 | 85.4 |
Goods
- Florence, SC
- The Villages, FL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Florence, SC | The Villages, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 96.5 | 93.7 |
| 2009 | 93.9 | 90.7 |
| 2010 | 96.7 | 96.4 |
| 2011 | 95.9 | 93.7 |
| 2012 | 94.8 | 90.3 |
| 2013 | 95.6 | 93.0 |
| 2014 | 95.6 | 91.3 |
| 2015 | 94.6 | 90.5 |
| 2016 | 95.4 | 92.2 |
| 2017 | 95.0 | 91.5 |
| 2018 | 95.3 | 95.3 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 95.3 |
| 2020 | 95.4 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 96.1 | 95.7 |
| 2022 | 94.5 | 95.0 |
| 2023 | 95.9 | 96.3 |
| 2024 | 96.3 | 96.2 |
Housing (rents)
- Florence, SC
- The Villages, FL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Florence, SC | The Villages, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 43.8 | 74.7 |
| 2009 | 51.6 | 92.3 |
| 2010 | 52.4 | 76.4 |
| 2011 | 55.5 | 73.9 |
| 2012 | 56.9 | 85.9 |
| 2013 | 55.3 | 80.3 |
| 2014 | 54.2 | 78.2 |
| 2015 | 57.1 | 87.6 |
| 2016 | 54.5 | 89.7 |
| 2017 | 58.1 | 81.7 |
| 2018 | 56.2 | 78.0 |
| 2019 | 58.3 | 88.7 |
| 2020 | 55.8 | 80.1 |
| 2021 | 61.0 | 88.8 |
| 2022 | 54.1 | 70.1 |
| 2023 | 57.2 | 80.2 |
| 2024 | 52.4 | 51.7 |
Utilities
- Florence, SC
- The Villages, FL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Florence, SC | The Villages, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 86.0 | 90.6 |
| 2009 | 87.1 | 92.2 |
| 2010 | 88.9 | 89.9 |
| 2011 | 91.1 | 89.0 |
| 2012 | 94.8 | 92.5 |
| 2013 | 94.5 | 88.6 |
| 2014 | 97.4 | 95.2 |
| 2015 | 98.2 | 96.1 |
| 2016 | 97.4 | 92.0 |
| 2017 | 95.3 | 93.9 |
| 2018 | 93.3 | 88.5 |
| 2019 | 95.9 | 89.6 |
| 2020 | 93.6 | 86.1 |
| 2021 | 90.5 | 86.4 |
| 2022 | 89.4 | 91.9 |
| 2023 | 85.6 | 91.1 |
| 2024 | 87.7 | 89.0 |
Other services
- Florence, SC
- The Villages, FL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Florence, SC | The Villages, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.3 | 95.0 |
| 2009 | 96.1 | 92.2 |
| 2010 | 97.8 | 94.4 |
| 2011 | 99.1 | 95.5 |
| 2012 | 99.6 | 98.3 |
| 2013 | 99.7 | 99.9 |
| 2014 | 99.6 | 99.9 |
| 2015 | 99.9 | 98.2 |
| 2016 | 100.1 | 96.5 |
| 2017 | 98.3 | 94.8 |
| 2018 | 97.9 | 98.8 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 95.9 |
| 2020 | 95.0 | 96.0 |
| 2021 | 99.9 | 99.7 |
| 2022 | 99.4 | 99.9 |
| 2023 | 97.9 | 99.8 |
| 2024 | 98.3 | 98.9 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,723 in The Villages vs $1,516 in Florence
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Florence, SC
- The Villages, FL
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Florence, SC | The Villages, FL | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | – | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | – | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | – | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | – | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | – | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | – | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | – | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | – | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | – | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | – | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | – | – | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | – | – | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | – | – | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | – | – | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,023 | – | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,032 | – | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,038 | – | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,039 | – | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,069 | – | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,089 | – | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,091 | – | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,138 | – | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,144 | – | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,195 | – | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,210 | – | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,223 | $1,455 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,274 | $1,574 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,333 | $1,625 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,325 | $1,718 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,343 | $1,617 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,373 | $1,659 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,375 | $1,667 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,364 | $1,721 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,382 | $1,733 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,445 | $1,713 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,450 | $1,729 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,434 | $1,776 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,474 | $1,691 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,485 | $1,660 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,508 | $1,679 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,474 | $1,677 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,513 | $1,707 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,503 | $1,680 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,516 | $1,723 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $388,000 in The Villages vs $193,000 in Florence
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Florence, SC
- The Villages, FL
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Florence, SC | The Villages, FL | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $112K | $251K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $113K | $253K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $114K | $254K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $115K | $253K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $116K | $250K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $117K | $249K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $118K | $249K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $119K | $250K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $118K | $251K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $118K | $252K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $119K | $253K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $120K | $256K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $121K | $259K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $123K | $263K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $124K | $268K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $124K | $273K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $127K | $277K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $128K | $280K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $129K | $284K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $130K | $287K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $131K | $290K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $133K | $291K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $135K | $295K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $141K | $300K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $146K | $301K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $152K | – | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $155K | $329K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $160K | $352K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $166K | $379K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $172K | $411K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $176K | $420K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $176K | $415K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $175K | $409K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $177K | $408K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $177K | $404K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $180K | $400K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $180K | $398K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $182K | $399K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $183K | $398K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $184K | $397K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $185K | $395K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $183K | $393K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $183K | $390K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $187K | $391K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $191K | $391K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $193K | $388K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $193K | $388K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.