Is Lexington, VA a Good Place to Live?
Lexington is a small town of 7,346 in Virginia, with a median household income of $93,651 and a 2.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Lexington stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Lexington is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lexington city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 95.9Lexington's overall cost of living index is 95.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lexington costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Lexington, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $224,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,000 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 52.8% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $93,651 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLexington's violent crime rate is 130.6 per 100,000 residents — 66% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Lexington is served primarily by Rockbridge County Public Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lexington, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Rockbridge County Public Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 60.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lexington sees average highs of 45.2°F in January and 86.6°F in July, with 42.9 inches of annual precipitation and 13.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lexington, VA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 45.2°F |
| Average High — July | 86.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 13.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lexington, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,346 | — |
| Median Age | 22.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 13.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 83.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 7.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Lexington
Lexington, VA is covered by 1 ZIP code: