Lexington County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 293,991. Its county seat and largest community is Lexington. The county was chartered in 1785 and was named in commemoration of Lexington, Massachusetts, the site of the Battle of Lexington in the American Revolutionary War. Lexington County is the sixth-most populous county in South Carolina by population and is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the Midlands region of South Carolina.
History Lexington County was charted in 1785 and was named after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought at the outset of the American Revolutionary War.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (7.74%) is water. The largest body of water is Lake Murray, while other waterways include the Broad River, the Saluda River and the Congaree River. Lexington County has urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Much of the county's urbanization is in its eastern and northeastern areas. The elevation in the county is .
Climate Lexington County averages of rain per year; the U.S. average is . The average snowfall is ; the U.S. average is . The average number of days with any measurable precipitation is 103.
On average, there are 218 sunny days per year in Lexington County. The July high is around and the January low is . The comfort index rates the county a 7.3 out of 10, where higher is more comfortable. The U.S. average on the comfort index is a 7 out of 10.
State and local protected areas Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve Lake Murray Dam North Recreational Area Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve Saluda Shoals Park Shealy's Pond Heritage Preserve
Major water bodies Congaree River Lake Murray North Fork Edisto River Red Bank Creek Saluda River
Adjacent counties Richland County – east Orangeburg County – southeast Calhoun County – southeast Aiken County – southwest Saluda County – west Newberry County – northwest
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Lexington County, South Carolina – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)124,757146,535179,731201,946208,85488.89%87.43%83.20%76.96%71.04%Black or African American alone (NH)13,70918,42727,13236,99542,3829.77%10.99%12.56%14.10%14.42%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1923216909578940.14%0.19%0.32%0.36%0.30%Asian alone (NH)6399972,2483,6936,6440.46%0.59%1.04%1.41%2.26%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census66105185xx0.03%0.04%0.06%Other race alone (NH)102291703301,0890.07%0.02%0.08%0.13%0.37%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census1,8313,83612,146xx0.85%1.46%4.13%Hispanic or Latino (any race)9541,3024,14614,52921,7970.68%0.78%1.92%5.54%7.41%Total140,353167,611216,014262,391293,991 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, there were 293,991 people, 118,193 households, and 81,118 families residing in the county. The median age was 39.8 years, 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.3 males in the county.
The racial makeup of the county was 72.3% White, 14.6% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.6% from some other race, and 6.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.4% of the population.
74.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 25.2% lived in rural areas.
There were 116,720 households in the county, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 127,887 housing units, of which 8.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.8% were owner-occupied and 24.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.8%.
2010 census At the 2010 census, there were 262,391 people, 102,733 households, and 70,952 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 113,957 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 79.3% white, 14.3% black or African American, 1.4% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 2.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.2% were German, 14.0% were American, 12.5% were English, and 11.8% were Irish.
Of the 102,733 households, 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.9% were non-families, and 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 37.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $52,205 and the median income for a family was $64,630. Males had a median income of $44,270 versus $34,977 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,393. About 8.5% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census At the 2000 census, there were 216,014 people, 83,240 households, and 59,849 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 90,978 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.18% White, 12.63% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 83,240 households, out of which 35.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, 26.10% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.30% was from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 10.20% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,659, and the median income for a family was $52,637. Males had a median income of $36,435 versus $26,387 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,063. About 6.40% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.10% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government Politics Lexington County was one of the first areas of South Carolina to support the Republican Party. The last official Democratic candidate to carry the county at a presidential level was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, and the official Democratic candidate last won 40 percent of the county's vote in 1952. It supported splinter Dixiecrat candidates in 1948 and 1956.
In the 2020 United States presidential election, Lexington County voted 64.2% in favor of Republican Donald Trump and 34.1% in favor of Democrat Joe Biden with 72.6% of the eligible electorate voting. This was the strongest performance by a Democratic candidate for president since 1976.
The county's Republican bent is not limited to national politics; its voters frequently reject Democrats at the state level as well. The county most recently supported a Democrat for governor in 1982 when Richard Riley carried every county in the state.Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1982 Gubernatorial General Election Results – South Carolina The last Democratic senatorial nominee to manage even 30 percent of the county's vote was Inez Tenenbaum in 2004, and no Democrat has carried the county since Ernest "Fritz" Hollings did so in 1980. In 1986, it was the only county in the state to support Hollings' Republican opponent, future Governor Henry McMaster.Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1986 Senatorial General Election Results – South Carolina
It was one of the first areas where Republicans broke the long Democratic monopoly on state and local offices. By the 1980s, longtime state senator Nikki Setzler was the only elected Democrat left above the county level. He was succeeded in 2024 by fellow Democrat Russell Ott.
On November 4, 2014, Lexington County residents voted against a proposed sales tax increase. The money generated from this tax would have mostly been used to improve traffic conditions upon roadways. That same day, residents voted to repeal a ban on alcohol sales on Sundays within the county.
Law enforcement In 2015, long-time county sheriff James Metts pled guilty to charges of conspiring to harbor and conceal illegal aliens. Metts accepted bribes to keep undocumented immigrants out of federal databases. Metts had been sheriff since 1972.
Economy
In 2022, the GDP was $16.7 billion (about $53,814 per capita), and the real GDP was $13.8 billion (about $44,563 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars.
The Saxe Gotha Industrial Park near Cayce houses multiple distribution sites for major national companies, including Amazon, Chick-fil-A, The Home Depot and Nephron Pharmaceuticals. Near Lexington is the Michelin tire-production plant. Other manufacturers include Shaw Industries, Southeastern Freight Lines, and Flex, at which president Biden spoke in July 2023. + Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Lexington County, South Carolina - Q3 2023 Industry Employment Counts Employment Percentage (%) Average Annual Wage ($) Accommodation and Food Services 12,892 9.9 20,436 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 7,696 5.9 39,000 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 608 0.5 55,432 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 956 0.7 23,140 Construction 7,402 5.7 62,244 Educational Services 10,238 7.9 50,596 Finance and Insurance 3,276 2.5 73,736 Health Care and Social Assistance 19,302 14.9 56,992 Information 2,252 1.7 62,972 Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,388 1.1 77,272 Manufacturing 12,343 9.5 69,108 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 143 0.1 73,164 Other Services (except Public Administration) 4,281 3.3 48,048 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 4,951 3.8 71,032 Public Administration 5,240 4.0 56,004 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 1,625 1.3 54,860 Retail Trade 18,087 13.9 34,996 Transportation and Warehousing 9,682 7.5 46,904 Utilities 1,410 1.1 92,144 Wholesale Trade 6,158 4.7 83,252 Total 129,930 100.0% 51,735
Top Employers
+Top ten employers (2021)RankEmployerEmployees1Lexington Medical Center7,8932Lexington School District 13,6743Amazon3,0504Walmart2,6035State government2,3086Michelin2,2407County of Lexington1,8558Dominion Energy1,4869Lexington School District 21,27410Lexington School District Five1,136
Transportation Interstates Interstate 20 travels from west to east and connects Columbia to Atlanta and Augusta in the west and Florence in the east. It serves the nearby towns and suburbs of Pelion, Lexington, West Columbia, Sandhill, Pontiac, and Elgin. Interstate 20 is also used by travelers heading to Myrtle Beach, although the interstate's eastern terminus is in Florence.