Lexington is home to 19,690 people in North Carolina. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Owners hold 42% of the housing stock. The poverty rate is 27.8%, above the 12.5% national rate. Households here earn about 40% less than in North Carolina as a whole. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $179,900.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $43,128, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 26%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lexington
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share0.8% → 24.1%(+23.3 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Homes owned by their occupants51.6% → 41.6%(−9.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Poverty rate18.5% → 27.8%(+9.2 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Lexington's population equals 11% of Davidson County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 27% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 25% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.3%(157)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.4%(167)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.4%(379)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.4%(42)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 961 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Lexington, decade by decade
Lexington population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
16,581
$50,428
$114,723
12.4%
57.3
2000
19,953
$47,775
$143,000
14.0%
74.8
2010
18,931
$43,485
$151,194
12.2%
80.6
2020
19,632
$36,805
$126,779
14.1%
84.2
2024
19,690
$43,128
$179,900
12.9%
87.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
