Revised 7/1/2008

Date Formed:

1804

Land Area (square miles):

699

County Seat:

Lexington

Other Cities and Towns:

Batesburg-Leesville, Cayce, Chapin, Columbia, Gaston, Gilbert, Irmo, Pelion, Pineridge, South Congaree, Springdale, Summit, Swansea, West Columbia

Form of Government:

Council-Administrator

Council Members:

Method of Election

Single Member

Term Length

4 years

Council of Government:

Central Midlands

County History

Lexington County and its county seat were named for the Battle of Lexington, Massachusetts, the first battle of the American Revolution. This part of the state was designated as Lexington County from 1785 to 1791, then was merged back into the larger Orangeburg District. Lexington was eventually made a separate district in 1804. Small parts of the county later went to form Aiken (1871) and Calhoun (1908) counties. European settlement of this area began around 1718 when the British established a trading post on the Congaree River, which eventually became the town of Granby. Beginning in the 1730s many German, Swiss, and Scotch-Irish immigrants moved into the area and established small farms. Granby was the leading town and county seat for many years, but the growth of Columbia across the Congaree led to Granby's decline, and the county seat was moved to the town of Lexington in 1818. General Sherman's troops shelled the city of Columbia from the Lexington side of the Congaree during the Civil War. In 1930 Lake Murray was created on the Saluda River in Lexington County, covering many of the old farms and creating new recreational opportunities.

Population Trends

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Population 1980:

140,353

Numeric Change 1980-2000:

75,661

Population 1990:

167,611

Numeric Change 2000-2007:

27,256

Population 2000:

216,014

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:

2.69%

Population Estimate 2006:

238,330

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2007:

1.80%

Population Estimate 2007:

243,270

Percent Change 2006-2007:

2.03%

Persons Per Square Mile 2007:

348.0

Economic Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Jobs 1980:

43,244

Personal Income (PI) 2006:

$8,018,507

Jobs 1990:

63,080

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2006:

9.4%

Jobs 2000:

89,554

Per Capita Personal Income 2006:

$33,645

Jobs 2005:

97,926

% of U.S. PCPI 2006:

92%

Jobs 2006:

102,251

Average Wage Per Job 2006:

$32,502

Numeric Change Jobs 2005-2006:

4,325

% of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006:

77%

Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:

5.35%

Unemployment Rate 2007:

4.3%

Avg. Annual Growth Rate 2000-2006:

0.80%

Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:

3.7%

Tax Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Assessed Property 2005:

$904,906,006

Per Capita Assessed Property 2005:

$4,189

County Base Millage Rate 2007:

0.0778

Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)

Value of One Mil 2007:

$838,264

Local Option Sales Tax:

Millage Cap FY09:

4.9%

Capital Projects Sales Tax:

Net Taxable Sales FY06:

$3,354,457,754

School District Sales Tax:

1.0%

Admissions Tax Collected FY06:

$386,713

Transportation Sales Tax:

Accommodations Tax Collected FY06:

$760,858

Financial & Employment Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Total Revenues FY06:

$141,963,697

Per Capita Revenues:

$657

Total Expenditures FY06:

$109,059,380

Per Capita Expenditures:

$505

General Fund Budget FY08:

$87,483,065

Per Capita General Fund Budget:

$405

Total Debt Outstanding FY07:

$49,474,486

Per Capita Debt Outstanding:

$204

Payroll FY 2008:

$38,486,261

Credit Rating(s) FY07

Full-Time Employees FY08:

1,346

Moody's:

Aa2

Part-Time Employees FY08

107

Standard & Poor:

AA-

Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:

6.23

Fitch: