In 1652, Haverfordwest market was closed by pestilence and St Florence was permitted to hold a weekly market on Thursdays. This does not seem to have been done after the 17th century, but neither does it seem that this permission has ever been rescinded.

In 1811 Fenton reported that he saw, '... the remains of houses and fragments of wall' which suggested that the village, '...appears to have been more populace than now...due to the overflow of manufacturers who administered to the commercial wealth of Tenby...'. Perhaps as a result of the medieval system of open field farming, there was a number of farms centred in the village as recently as the 1960s. These have now gone and St Florence is entirely residential, exemplified by the high percentage both of in-migrants and retired folk.

In 1991 the population of St Florence parish was just over 600 the highest total reached since the first census was taken in 1801. Farming has been the primary work of the area, but amongst other occupations have been fulling (a process of cloth making) at Flemington, quarrying of limestone for building and agriculture and marble cutting; there were 4 marble masons in 1841. The census of that year shows 2 shipwright apprentices. Other craftsmen of the period were shoemakers and a basket maker. At this time there were 3 public houses: the New Inn, the Sun and the Ball (now Grove Farmhouse). Some ancient locational names survive amongst the present day enclosed fields: the West Field, "Honnyland", Ladyland, Slade and "Cherrie Land" to cite just a few.

Today diversification proceeds apace with the retrenchment to agriculture. Ivy Tower opened as Manor House Wildlife and Leisure Park in 1975 and Heatherton Farm recently opened a Country Sports Park; in 1994 a Dinosaur Park opened at Great Wedlock; all are on the B4318 a mile north of the village.