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Place dossier plate
SheetSC-LEXINGTON-SC · Lexington, SC 24,132 pop · income 65th pct · 92 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Lexington
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Lexington on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Greenwood · lowest
40,253
Greenwood · lowest
40,253 median HH income
35.6% of the leader · rank #1
DeSoto · near
83,256
DeSoto · near
83,256 median HH income
73.6% of the leader · rank #2
Pierrepont Ma… · near
83,260
Pierrepont Ma… · near
83,260 median HH income
73.6% of the leader · rank #3
Lexington · this city
83,263
Lexington · this city
83,263 median HH income
73.6% of the leader · rank #4
Sheridan · near
83,264
Sheridan · near
83,264 median HH income
73.6% of the leader · rank #5
Elmwood · near
83,268
Elmwood · near
83,268 median HH income
73.6% of the leader · rank #6
Wekiwa Springs · highest
113,067
Wekiwa Springs · highest
113,067 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Lexington on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 24,132.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Lexington - the verdict
Lexington ranks in the 65th percentile for household income and the 40th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
65th
percentile, household income
60th
percentile, home value
46th
percentile, median rent
40th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Lexington, SC
Lexington is a small city in South Carolina, home to 24,132 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Lexington households earn a median of $83,263 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.1%. Lexington's housing stock carries a median value of $271,200, and the median resident age is 40.9 years. About 48.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 168 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Slowing), down 24% from five years earlier. Lexington reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1683.8 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in South Carolina run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts South Carolina at 93.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,155 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts South Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $224 (state average). Workers in Lexington report an average commute of 21.1 minutes, with 77.4% driving alone and 11.9% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.7 out of 100 (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Lexington's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to schools and households to reported crime to population change to work and mobility to within-city variation to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Lexington, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, local building permits.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Lexington?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What does the education layer cover for Lexington?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 20 public schools within the city match. 48.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What can 92 Census tracts reveal inside Lexington?
PlainCities matches 92 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Lexington?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within South Carolina, the closest population matches are Easley (23,942 residents, $65,330 income); Taylors (23,686 residents, $71,747 income); Socastee (24,629 residents, $59,826 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Nixa, MO (24,131 residents); Collinsville, IL (24,126 residents); Shelbyville, TN (24,125 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Lexington?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1683.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 26% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1683.8
Violent rate
118.3
Property rate
1565.5
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is Lexington growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +2,009 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +8.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 168 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
23,720
2025 estimate
25,729
Period change
+8.5%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Lexington?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 77.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 21.1 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
77.4%
Work from home
11.9%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 11,294 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 5.1% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.7 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average
B-
City profile score · Lexington, SC
68/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A-
48.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living B
93.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime B-
118 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate B-
5.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income C+
$83,263
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Lexington profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 82/100 (A-) · 48.0%
Cost of living: 70/100 (B) · 93.7 index
Violent crime: 66/100 (B-) · 118 /100k
Poverty rate: 65/100 (B-) · 5.1%
Household income: 63/100 (C+) · $83,263
Where Lexington sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Lexington's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Lexington highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Lexington, SC (this city): home $271,200, crime 1,684/100k
Nixa, MO : home $238,300, crime 652/100k
Collinsville, IL : home $157,700, crime 1,954/100k
Shelbyville, TN : home $224,700, crime 2,343/100k
West Memphis, AR : home $119,100, crime 6,580/100k
Emporia, KS : home $127,500, crime 2,671/100k
Easley, SC : home $243,100, crime 2,035/100k
North Augusta, SC : home $220,500, crime 444/100k
Simpsonville, SC : home $267,500, crime 2,822/100k
Greenwood, SC : home $123,400, crime 3,808/100k
How does Lexington compare to other US cities?
Lexington measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income65% higher than other cities
Home value60% pricier than other cities
Median rent46% pricier than other cities
Safety40% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to South Carolina alone, Lexington ranks #29 of 127 South Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Lexington against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to South Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
South Carolina-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Lexington near the bottom of South Carolina's cities
Among the 441 South Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Lexington ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Lexington only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#56 of 403
86th percentile in South Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 441
0th percentile in South Carolina
Median Home Value
#65 of 404
84th percentile in South Carolina
Poverty Rate
#343 of 439
22nd percentile in South Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#33 of 441
92nd percentile in South Carolina
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within South Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
65th percentile nationally for median household income · 40th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Lexington's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Lexington's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Lexington's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$271,20040th percentilemore affordable than 40% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Lexington's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,935 of 15,516
More affordable than 49% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,242 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.3×, Lexington sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,935 of 15,516 and #1,242 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$83,263Lexington, SC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Lexington, SC median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Lexington, SC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)48.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)5.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
24,132
Median Income
$83,263
Median Home Value
$271,200
Median Age
40.9
Poverty Rate
5.1%
Labor force participation
59.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
48.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1683.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
118.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1565.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
20
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Lexington's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
23,720 residents
2021
24,392 residents
2022
24,705 residents
2023
24,995 residents
2024
25,425 residents
2025
25,729 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
168
housing units authorized
Single-Family
168
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
220
220
0
$53.7M
2020
307
307
0
$78.2M
2021
209
209
0
$65.6M
2022
111
111
0
$40.6M
2023
203
201
2
$71.1M
2024
168
168
0
$55.0M
Permit volume decreased 24% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
21.1 minutes
Drive Alone
77.4%
Carpool
7.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
11.9%
Other
0.8%
Based on 11,294 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
South Carolina statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $224
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across South Carolina at $224 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are South Carolina statewide averages, not a meter reading for Lexington. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
South Carolina's BEA cost-of-living index is 93.7 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Lexington is $1,155/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to South Carolina statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.7 / 100 (High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a South Carolina statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Lexington sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Lexington compares to similar-size South Carolina cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.