What it's like to live in Lexington
Lexington is a small city in South Carolina with home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lexington deals with hot summers, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Lexington compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lexington
Based on Lexington's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,090
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,800 a year
- 46% of Lexington renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$59,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,770
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,545/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,545 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $297,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $297,700 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 48% below US
171 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1182/100k · Lexington Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 41% above US
51% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Congaree National Park (30 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lexington's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are hot summers and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,545/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and college-educated professionals.
See all the data for Lexington →·All South Carolina cities →
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