Lexington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cayce
Lexington
Opportunity
75 · Top 14%
vs86 · Top 3%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs43 · Bottom 37%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
59 · Top 49%
vs58 · Bottom 49%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs88 · Top 36%
Schools
23 · Bottom 15%
vs85 · Top 8%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Cayce | Lexington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,741 | 24,585 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,045 | $87,126 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,863 | $43,606 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 814/sq mi | 2,054/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $166,800 | $297,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,360 | $1,545 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.5% | 68.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.1% | 50.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 7.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 17 | 25 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -71.2% | -76.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.7" | 45.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.3 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 39.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.41 | 14.00 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 24.7% | 55.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.2% | 60.0% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Cayce
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Lexington
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: Cayce, SC · Lexington, SC · How this is calculated: methodology