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Old 07-14-2016, 03:04 PM
 
4 posts, read 24,597 times
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Hi All,

My family is considering relocating to Florence, SC from Minnesota for a job offer. I sincerely need feedback on the overall vibe of Florence - including safety, schools, any tension in the area, etc. We have 3 young children, so safety and schooling is of course a concern.

I am looking for completely honest feedback from people who live here or people who have relocated here.

My husband and I are very open-minded people, but need to weigh our decision on moving. We have heard that the crime is TERRIBLE, but would love feedback on what is going on in 2016.




Thanks!!
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Old 07-14-2016, 03:09 PM
 
4 posts, read 24,597 times
Reputation: 10
I forgot to add that if anyone has ideas for other better towns to live in, please suggest them! The job is in Hartsville.
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Old 07-14-2016, 11:54 PM
 
Location: South Carolina
21,003 posts, read 26,983,613 times
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Will your children be educated in public schools or private schools?

In regards to public schools, Florence County has five school districts.
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Old 07-15-2016, 01:35 PM
 
Location: Eureka CA
9,519 posts, read 14,645,110 times
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You should VISIT before making any decisions.
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Old 07-16-2016, 11:47 AM
 
Location: Sneads Ferry, NC
13,323 posts, read 26,772,505 times
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The lack of positive feedback should tell you something. I hope you have read previous threads on Florence.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/south...-florence.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/south...-florence.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/south...dangerous.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/myrtl...-rent-buy.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/south...orence-sc.html
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Old 07-16-2016, 12:18 PM
 
Location: Greenville SC 'Waterfall City'
10,106 posts, read 7,304,661 times
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or, Florence is a small city and there aren't a lot of people on here who live there.

west and south Florence are safe, as i am sure people have indicated in those previous threads.

crime stats are usually per capita, per 10,000 people, and tend to make small cities look worse than they are.

i cannot see any person who visits the city being concerned about crime in the middle class / affluent areas.

Last edited by ClemVegas; 07-16-2016 at 12:59 PM..
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Old 07-16-2016, 04:43 PM
 
Location: Columbia SC
14,187 posts, read 14,539,139 times
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A retired SC State cop tells me the rural areas around Darlington/Florence is one of the most redneck areas in SC. They hated calls in that area.
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Old 07-16-2016, 05:55 PM
 
299 posts, read 448,349 times
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I live in Florence born and raised, Florence is a great area to raise your kids and work. The perception is not the reality. Crime is not out of control, new schools are being built and on average a new one has opened every year for the past five. The Downtown is seeing a rebirth and Floretines are coming together. Come for a visit we are friendly this is not hersay or from someone who passed through, but from someone from here.
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Old 07-17-2016, 08:01 AM
 
Location: South of Cakalaki
5,670 posts, read 4,579,206 times
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The numbers aren't good for Florence, crime wise. But if you dig further into the data, you'll be able to discern the higher crime areas.
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Old 07-19-2016, 07:59 PM
 
152 posts, read 348,641 times
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I've lived on and off in Florence for over 30 years, and have never been the victim of crime, nor have any family members (who have lived here the whole time). The crime stats in Florence are high in the poorer east and north parts of town, and out by the I-95/52 intersection where there are numerous hotels. In most of the rest of town, crime is much lower. If there is any crime in these other areas, it is often late night convenience store robberies. Which is why convenience stores at night may be one of the few places I would avoid.

Florence is a growing interstate city (only one hour from the beach and three from the mountains) that gets a bad rap due to the crime stats, but if you look at the actual numbers of crimes, your chance of being involved in an incident is pretty low. I've lived in North Charleston and felt nowhere near as safe as Florence. Crime in the downtown area, which is being revitalized, is low, partly because there is strong police presence in the area. The public schools are generally decent and safe (Sneed, Delmae, Royall & Lucy T Davis, as well as South Florence, West Florence and Wilson High schools are good examples, where incidents are extremely rare).

Are there better options in SC? Sure. Greenville is booming and a great area to live, as are parts of Columbia (Lexington), and Charleston (West Ashley/Mt Pleasant). There will be more to do, and the crime rate will be lower. Traffic will be significantly worse however. Myrtle Beach is a major tourist area, but it's crime rate is similar to Florence..and summer traffic is awful.

In summary, don't let the fear of crime deter you from moving to Florence, as it's a very good place to raise a family, and the options of things to do is decent for a small city. To be honest, the strikes against this area to me is the extreme summer heat (really all of SC), the relatively flat terrain of the area, and it's lack of being located on a river or ocean (though as I said the Atlantic is only an hour away).
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