Muscle Shoals and Florence receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Muscle Shoals
Florence
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 44%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Growth
60 · Top 33%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 33%
Access
69 · Bottom 12%
vs64 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 44%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Muscle Shoals | Florence | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,951 | 41,701 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,894 | $52,174 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,651 | $31,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,005/sq mi | 1,540/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $199,700 | $196,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,029 | $820 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.1% | 52.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.0% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 17.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 48 | 261 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 6.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -21.3% | 39.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 54.2" | 57.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 49 mi | 52 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.0 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.05 | 16.16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.5% | 58.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Muscle Shoals
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Florence
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Muscle Shoals
65
Your Score
64
Area Score
Florence
63
Your Score
63
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Muscle Shoals, AL · Florence, AL · How this is calculated: methodology