HomeSouth CarolinaLexington County
Lexington County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Lexington County, South Carolina has a population of 304,887 across 699 square miles, up 6.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $19.75 bn in 2024, 7,391 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 254 7(a) approvals worth $164.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lexington County
How many people live in Lexington County
- Population304,887
- Households121,964
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$77,408
- Median age39.8
- Median gross rent$1,178 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$234,500
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over211,803
- Population under 1870,033
- Share under 1823.0 percent
- Population 65 and over52,089
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64182,765
- Civilian labor force155,893
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.4 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties6th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents237th
Lexington County is the 6th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.0 percent against 17.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lexington County
Is Lexington County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.76 percent
- Census 2020 base population293,912
- Births, 20243,318
- Deaths, 20243,125
- Natural change, 2024193
- Net domestic migration, 20242,433
- Net international migration, 20241,280
- Total net migration, 20243,713
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202415,413
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents319th
The county has grown 6.76 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lexington County
Where people moving to Lexington County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving9,488
- People arriving, from those returns17,638
- Adjusted gross income arriving$619.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$65,254
- Largest single originLexington County Non-migrants (109,897 households)
- Largest single destination (109,897 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington County Non-migrants | 109,897 | 227,392 | $9.40 bn |
| Richland County | 3,106 | 5,504 | $178.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,946 | 5,872 | $234.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,423 | 2,684 | $112.2 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 666 | 1,354 | $53.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 500 | 1,046 | $39.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 357 | 788 | $29.0 m |
| Aiken County | 217 | 388 | $10.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lexington County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lexington County
What the Lexington County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$19.75 bn
- County GDP, 2023$18.42 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.2 percent
- GDP change over five years37.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents263rd
- GDP per resident$64,785
Output grew 7.2 percent in the latest year and 37.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lexington County
Who employs people in Lexington County
- Covered employment, annual average132,596
- Establishments reporting8,854
- Average annual pay$56,005
- Average weekly wage$1,077
- Sector 44-45, employment18,151
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,090
- Sector 62, employment16,212
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,371
- Sector 31-33, employment12,593
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$73,859
- Sector 72, employment12,389
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,782
- Sector 48-49, employment9,454
- Sector 23, employment8,005
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 18,151 | 1,211 | $36,090 |
| Sector 62 | 16,212 | 809 | $51,371 |
| Sector 31-33 | 12,593 | 337 | $73,859 |
| Sector 72 | 12,389 | 691 | $21,782 |
| Sector 48-49 | 9,454 | 261 | $53,320 |
| Sector 23 | 8,005 | 938 | $69,070 |
| Sector 56 | 7,268 | 590 | $40,032 |
| Sector 42 | 6,032 | 422 | $84,411 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 18,151 jobs, 13.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lexington County
What businesses operate in Lexington County
- Establishments, all industries7,391
- Employment at those establishments117,298
- Annual payroll$5.81 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lexington County
What is being built in Lexington County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,758
- Declared construction value permitted$559.4 m
- Single family units authorised1,756
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units0.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$318,225
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.4
Multifamily is 0.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lexington County
How much SBA lending happens in Lexington County
- 7(a) approvals recorded254
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$164.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$648,634
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$35,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,850,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,511
- Jobs per approval9.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active64
- Distinct industries receiving approvals118
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms49
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter182
- Franchise loans65
- Franchise share of approvals25.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (17)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (30)
- 504 approvals recorded64
- 504 gross approval dollars$49.1 m
- Average 504 approval$766,984
- Median 504 approval$507,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval15.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.2
- Most active CDCCertified Development Corporation of South Carolina (32)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals79.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$213.8 m
The average approval of $648,634 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 19.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lexington County
Do SBA loans in Lexington County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded43
- Paid in full40
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans7.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full40
- Status: Exempt from disclosure167
- Status: Cancelled30
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed14
Of the 43 loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lexington County
Which parts of Lexington County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- LEXINGTON, approvals104
- WEST COLUMBIA, approvals58
- COLUMBIA, approvals42
- Chapin, approvals18
- CAYCE, approvals7
- IRMO, approvals6
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LEXINGTON | 104 | $65,227,100 |
| WEST COLUMBIA | 58 | $34,966,200 |
| COLUMBIA | 42 | $37,938,700 |
| Chapin | 18 | $8,343,600 |
| CAYCE | 7 | $3,281,100 |
| IRMO | 6 | $1,287,200 |
| GASTON | 5 | $2,535,000 |
| BATESBURG | 4 | $2,170,700 |
LEXINGTON accounts for 104 approvals against 58 in WEST COLUMBIA. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lexington County
How big is Lexington County
- Land area699 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties17th of 46
- Width, east to west37 mi
- Height, north to south37.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land436
- Establishments per square mile10.57
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Lexington County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lexington County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population304,887
- Households121,964
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$77,408
- Median age39.8
Common questions
Lexington County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lexington County, South Carolina?
304,887, in 121,964 households, ranking 6th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lexington County growing?
The population has grown 6.76 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,318 births against 3,125 deaths, with net migration of 3,713. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lexington County?
$77,408. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $234,500, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,178 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lexington County?
7,391 establishments, employing 117,298 people with an annual payroll of $5.81 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Lexington County?
Average annual pay is $56,005, or $1,077 a week, across 132,596 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lexington County?
254 7(a) approvals totalling $164.8 m since FY2020, across 64 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 64 504 approvals worth $49.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lexington County get paid back?
Of the 43 loans that have reached a final outcome, 40 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 7.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Lexington County?
1,758 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $559.4 m. Multifamily was 0.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lexington County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lexington County come from?
The largest single origin is Lexington County Non-migrants, with 109,897 households. Arriving households report an average income of $65,254 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lexington County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lexington County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.