Florence

Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. In 1965, Florence was named an All-American City, presented by the National Civic League. The city was founded as a railroad hub and became the junction of three major railroad systems, including the Wilmington and Manchester, the Northeastern, and the Cheraw and Darlington. During the Civil War, the town was an important supply and railroad repair center for the Confederacy. After the war, Florence grew and prospered, using the railroad to supply its cotton, timber, and by the turn of the century, tobacco. In the 20th century the economy of Florence came to rely heavily on the healthcare industry, driven by two major hospitals and a number of pharmaceutical plants. After World War II, Florence became increasingly known for textiles, pharmaceuticals, paper, and manufacturing, in addition to agricultural products. As of the 2020 census, the population of Florence was 39,899. There are nine foreign affiliated and affiliated companies affiliated with the Carolinas, including Eastern Carolinas and Carolinas International Airport. The average elevation above sea level is around 140 ft (43 m). Jeffries Creek is a tributary of the Great Pee Dee River and is a main waterway that flows through the city, passing south of the city center. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.9 square miles (54.2 km²), of which 20.1 sq mi (54 km²) are land and 0.04sq mi (0.1km²) is water.

History

Florence is the primary city name, but also Quinby are acceptable city names or spellings. The City of Florence was chartered in 1871 by the Reconstruction government and incorporated in 1890:7. Prior to its charter, the city was part of one of the original townships laid out by the Lords Proprietors in 1719. Early settlers practiced subsistence farming and produced indigo, cotton, naval stores and timber, which were shipped down the Great Pee Dee River to the port at Georgetown. In the mid-19th century two intersecting railroads were built, the Wilmington and Manchester, and the Northeastern. After the war, Florence grew and prospered, using the railroad to supply its cotton, timber, and by the turn of the century, tobacco. During the 20th century the town came to rely heavily on the pharmaceutical industry, driven by two major hospitals and a number of pharmaceutical plants. After World War II, the town became increasingly known for textiles, pharmaceuticals, paper, and manufacturing, in addition to agricultural products. The town is home to the Florence National Cemetery, which was established after the Civil War to hold Union prisoners of war who died of disease in the town's stockade. It is also the site of the North Carolina State Museum, which opened in 1881. The city is also home to a museum, the National Museum of American History, which dates back to the 17th century and is located on the banks of the Pee Dee River. It was also the location of the U.S. Civil War's Florence Stockade, which held between 12,000 and 18,000 Union prisoners.

Geography

Florence is located in the coastal plain of South Carolina. It is in the northeastern part of the state and the northern part of Florence County. Jeffries Creek is a tributary of the Great Pee Dee River and is the main waterway that flows through the city. The climate experienced is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa) of the type found in the deep south. Autumn, winter and spring are mild, with occasional winter nights below freezing but rarely features extended cold and rigorous conditions. Florence's summers can be very hot and humid. The city, like others in the Southeast, is prone to inversions, which trap ozone and other pollutants over the area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.9 square miles (54.2 km²), of which 20.1 km² is land and 0.04 sq miles (0.1km²), or 0.22%, is water. The average elevation above sea level is around 140 ft (43 m) The city is located on the Atlantic seaboard and is located near the tip of North Carolina's Piedmont region. It has a population of 1.2 million (1.3 million in 2011 Census figures). The city has an average elevation of around 140 feet (43 metres) (2.2 m) (1,000 ft) (3,000 feet) (4,000 meters) (5,000 metres).

Government

The city of Florence has a council-manager form of government. City council members are elected every four years, without term limits. The council appoints a city manager to serve as chief administrative officer to run the day-to-day business of the city and to serve at the pleasure of the council. Florence holds elections for mayor everyFour years, alongside national Presidential elections. Mayors serve as a member of the City Council, withoutTerm limits. Council responsible for making policies and enacting laws, rules and regulations in order to provide for future community and economic growth. Council additionally provides the necessary support for the orderly and efficient operation of city services. Current members of the Florence City Council: Three members from districts and three at-large, as well as the mayor. Current city manager of Florence is  James "Jim" Smith, who has been in office since 2007. He has served as mayor of Florence since 2008, and is currently in his third term. The city council is made up of seven members (three from districts, three from at- Large, and three from within the city). The mayor is elected for a four-year term, and there are no term limits on the council, with the exception of the mayor, who serves a two-year probationary period. Council members are not allowed to run for re-election more than once in the same year as the previous election. The mayor has a term-limit of five years, and can only serve a maximum of one term.

Economy

Florence is a major commerce, finance, rail and trucking services, health care, and industrial center of the Eastern Carolinas. There are over nine foreign affiliated companies and fourteen Fortune 500 companies in the region. The gross domestic product (GDP) of the Florence metropolitan statistical area as of 2009 was $6.8 billion, one of the highest among MSAs in the state. Florence has benefited from being located at the intersection of I-95 and I-20, approximately halfway between New York City and Miami, Florida. The city is located 80 miles (130 km) east from the state capital Columbia, 70 miles (110 km) west from Myrtle Beach, 120 miles (190 km) North of Charleston, and 110 miles (180 km) southeast of Charlotte, North Carolina. Several companies have their global, continental, or national headquarters in Florence, including GE Healthcare manufacturing operations (MRI manufacturing), TRICARE, a supplemental insurance company that serves the US Armed Forces and its civilian employees, and Assurant, a real property and personal insurance company. Companies with regional operations and headquarters include Truist Financial, Monster.com, Otis Elevator, CSX Transportation, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Florence is the southeastern headquarters of Duke Energy Inc. and AT&T and is the operation headquarters for Patheon API Services. Florence also serves as the financial and service hub for theEastern Carolinas, with many financial and professional management institutions invested heavily within the city. This has allowed Florence to remain competitive and bringing in and sustaining major manufacturers.

Education

The Florence Public School District One is the governing body of the public schools in the area. As of 2010, the district has an active enrollment of 14,500 students, attending a total of 20 schools. Francis Marion University is a public university located in Florence, while FlorenceDarlington Technical College operates satellite campuses in Hartsville, Lake City and Mullins. Florence has a public library, a branch of the Florence County Library System. The Florence County Public Library has a room, the South Carolina Room, dedicated to South Carolina history and genealogy. The school system also supports an alternative school for middle and/or high school students, a vocational career center, and an adult learning center. The district and its schools have been recognized as being among the state's best with numerous awards, including the Palmetto's Finest Award.

Healthcare

McLeod Regional Medical Center is a 453-bed non-profit medical center located on a 75-acre (300,000 m2) campus in downtown Florence. The Medical University of South Carolina Florence, formerly Carolinas Hospital System, a regional healthcare facility with 420-beds, serves eight counties in northeastern South Carolina. Regency Hospital opened in Florence in July 2001. It is a 40-bed Long Term Acute Care (LTAC) hospital located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Cedar Towers, at 121 Cedar Street. The Cardiovascular Institute, the Center for Advanced Surgery, the Cancer Center, and the only specialised paediatrics unit in the northeastern portion of South South Carolina are all located at the hospital complex. McLeod Medical Center and MUSC Florence are the first and third largest employers in the Pee Dee region of South North Carolina. The hospital complex in downtown contains the Card cardiovascular Institute,the Center for advanced surgery, and a Cancer Center. It encompasses acute care facilities, such as McLeod. Medical Center in Florence, McLeod medical Center in Dillon, and McLeodmedical. Center in Darlington. It also operates campuses all over the Pees Dee region. It has 20 hospitals nationwide, and continues to aggressively grow throughout the country, with a corporate office based in Alpharetta, Georgia, with 20 hospitals in the U.S. The medical center in Florence is one of the largest hospitals in South Carolina, with more than 1,000 beds.

Transportation

I-95 is a six-lane freeway that enters the city from the northeast, and exits southwest. I-20 leads west 83 miles (134 km) to Columbia, then on to Atlanta and ultimately Texas. US 52 is a north to south route through the downtown area. Florence Regional Airport is the second busiest airport in the region behind Myrtle Beach International Airport. Greyhound Lines and Southeastern Stages operates a station on Irby Street, in the southern part of downtown, providing Florence with intercity bus transportation. The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) is the principal agency responsible for operating mass transit in greater Florence area including Darlington, Marion, Chesterfield, Dillon, and the Lake City area. PDRTA has provided transportation for more than 15 million passengers, and transports approximately 2,457 people daily. Amtrak's The Palmetto trains 89, 90 and Silver Meteor connect Florence with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Miami. The Florence station also serves as the refueling and crew changing point for Amtrak's Auto Train service which operates service between Sanford station in Florida and Lorton station Virginia, Passengers may temporarily disembark the train to smoke, get some air or walk their service animals. The airport itself is serviced by American Eagle to Charlotte and is located an hour west of Myrtle beach. It is located 2 miles (3.2 km) east of downtown Florence on US 76.

Downtown revitalization

The city of Florence has completed several notable projects and has several more planned. The Downtown Redevelopment District was originally a seventy square block area encompassing some 500 acres (2.0 km²) in the heart of the City of Florence. The goal is to re-establish the downtown area, which was once the center of the city's activity but remains dormant after retailers and shoppers left for suburban malls. The city has even created a new branding effort, to include new city department logos (not to be confused with the city seal) way finding signs and repainting of water towers. New office space has emerged from once abandoned buildings, and a police substation was added on once crime-ridden Dargan Street. The new Florence Museum of Art, Science & History which opened October 11, 2014, is located on the former site of the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library, and now has some 60 new apartments and the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center which opened in September 2011, as well as the new Florence Little Theater, which is located in the historic Timrod Park area of the town. The downtown area will be streetscaped, and five blocks of Evans Street will be Streetscaped in the next few years, with the goal of creating a vibrant commercial and residential corridor. The historic downtown district running from the central business district toward the McLeod Medical Center, features a number of historic buildings that have been rehabilitated. It also features a new $18 million library, and today now has the new.

People and culture

Florence is the central city of a metropolitan area with a total population of 205,566 (2010 US census), including the entire populations of Florence and Darlington counties. Only about 54% of this metro was urbanized, consisting of the urban areas Florence (2000.: 67,314), Hartsville (14,907), Darlington (12,066), and Lake City (8,728). The remainder of the Florence metro is considered rural. Like other midsize cities in the southern United States, Florence's population is largely dominated by Protestantism, the largest group being the Southern Baptists. The Greek Orthodox Church holds a large Greek Festival annually in September. There is one Reform Judaism synagogue in Florence, Beth Israel Congregation, and a small Hindu temple. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,388, and the median income. for a family was $42,250. In the city, 19.3% of families, and 28.2% of those under and 15.9% ofThose 65 and older, were living below the poverty line. The city has a population of 30,248 people, with a population density of 1,709.4 people per square mile (659.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 50.0% White, 46.0%, Black or African- American, 0.18% Native American, 1.16% Asian and 0.21% from other races.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Florence, Florence County, South Carolina = 73.6. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 47. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Florence = 5.1 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 8,948 individuals with a median age of 38.8 age the population grows by 2.10% in Florence, Florence County, South Carolina population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,705.45 residents per square mile of area (658.47/km²). There are average 2.39 people per household in the 12,477 households with an average household income of $41,572 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 21.60% of the available work force and has dropped -1.04% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 16.32%. The number of physicians in Florence per 100,000 population = 259.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Florence = 43.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 1.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 106. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 211. 91 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 35 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 30, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Florence, Florence County, South Carolina which are owned by the occupant = 58.28%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 35 years with median home cost = $133,650 and home appreciation of 0.82%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $3.94 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,780 per student. There are 10.5 students for each teacher in the school, 367 students for each Librarian and 482 students for each Counselor. 6.67% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 17.78% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 9.60% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).