Lexington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lexington
Columbia
Opportunity
86 · Top 3%
vs61 · Top 40%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs89 · Top 1%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs75 · Top 29%
Physical resilience
58 · Bottom 49%
vs66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Schools
85 · Top 8%
vs28 · Bottom 20%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Lexington | Columbia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,585 | 139,643 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,126 | $55,529 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,606 | $39,058 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,054/sq mi | 1,008/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $297,700 | $264,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,545 | $1,204 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.7% | 45.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.7% | 45.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 24.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 25 | 3,198 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 22.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -76.4% | 106.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.2" | 43.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 18.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.0 | 28.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.00 | 12.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 55.8% | 27.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 60.0% | 33.3% | 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
Lexington
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lexington, SC · Columbia, SC · How this is calculated: methodology