Is Florence cheaper than Johnson City?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Florence and Johnson City metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Florence or Johnson City?

Household incomes are similar — $56,475 in the Florence metro versus $57,462 in Johnson City (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Does a paycheck go further in Florence or Johnson City?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($65,083 versus $65,351).

Which has cheaper rent, Florence or Johnson City?

Johnson City has cheaper rent — a median of $993/mo versus $1,023/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Florence vs Johnson City

Metro-area medians — Florence, SC Metro Area vs Johnson City, TN Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Johnson City comes out ahead, winning 4 of the 5 clearly-decided measures.

Florence and Johnson City are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Johnson City has the tighter job market — 3.1% unemployment versus 6.6%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Florence, SC

$58,400

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$67,301

real value after local prices

Johnson City, TN

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$69,731

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Johnson City leaves you about $2,430/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Florence

Johnson City

Livability (CityLedger)

23/100

38/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

86.8

87.9

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$65,083

$65,351

Median household income

$56,475

$57,462

Median rent

$1,023/mo

$993/mo

Median home value

$196,600

$244,500

Unemployment

6.6%

3.1%

Bachelor's degree or higher

24.2%

29.9%

Average commute

22.4 min

22.5 min

Air quality (median AQI)

—

Avg temperature

65°F

57°F

Choose Florence for

+ Median home value

Full Florence profile →

Choose Johnson City for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Median rent
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Johnson City profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Florence and Johnson City on cost, income, size, and education.

Florence vs Lake Charles→Florence vs Fort Smith→Florence vs Rocky Mount→Johnson City vs Lynchburg→Johnson City vs Charleston→Johnson City vs Saginaw→

Florence vs Johnson City — frequently asked

Is Florence cheaper than Johnson City?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Florence and Johnson City metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Florence or Johnson City?: Household incomes are similar — $56,475 in the Florence metro versus $57,462 in Johnson City (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
Does a paycheck go further in Florence or Johnson City?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($65,083 versus $65,351).
Which has cheaper rent, Florence or Johnson City?: Johnson City has cheaper rent — a median of $993/mo versus $1,023/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).