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Florence, Alabama is the anchor of the Shoals, a riverside city on the Tennessee River where the University of North Alabama puts thousands of Lions right at the center of town. UNA sits a few blocks from a walkable historic downtown, so student life and city life blur together fast. You've got named pockets like the College District near campus, plus green space along the river at McFarland Park and River Heritage Park for runs and kayaking. The Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House and the W.C. Handy home give the place real roots, and every July the W.C. Handy Music Festival turns the Shoals into a week of blues and jazz. Living here means a small, friendly, music-soaked city where you can walk to most of what matters.
Right around campus, it keeps you walking distance to class and downtown, ideal if you want zero commute.
Puts you among historic streets, the riverfront, and civic events, great for renters who want walkability and a social scene.
Just south of campus, it mixes older houses and apartments and suits roommates wanting yards and a quieter street.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Florence.
The Shoals Area Rural Transit System runs fixed and on-demand bus service across Florence and the wider Shoals, which helps when you are crossing town. It is not a frequent big-city network you would lean on for everything. Use it for occasional cross-town trips rather than daily commuting.
If you live near UNA or downtown, you can walk to class, the riverfront, and most of what you need. Biking around the flat grid is easy. The compact core makes walking and biking the natural way to get around close in.
Most students here keep a car, especially if they are commuting from farther out or heading across the river to the other Shoals cities. The upside is short drives and easy parking compared to a major metro. A quick trip to the grocery store or McFarland Park never eats your whole afternoon.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
It depends on whether you're sharing and how close you are to campus, but a per-person budget of roughly $500-$900/month is realistic for most off-campus rooms near UNA. Splitting a house or a 4-bedroom student unit usually lands you toward the lower end, while a private one-bedroom downtown runs higher. Add utilities on top unless they're bundled.
Browse student housing near each Florence-area university.