Jobs, pay and daily life in Lexington, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Lexington is a city in North Carolina with 19,690 residents. The median household earns $43,128 a year and the median rent is $893 a month, which is 24.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Winston-Salem, NC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 271,980 jobs.
How Lexington compares. Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Lexington is #50 by population, #99 for college degrees (#1 = most), #93 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #92 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Davidson County, is #23 of 100 counties for average pay ($54,593).
Lexington has 19,690 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of North Carolina. It covers 19 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,024 people per square mile. The median age is 36.7, 6% younger than the state median (36.7 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $893 a month (rent plus utilities), 27% below the state median ($893 against $1,228). Over a year that is 24.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $179,900, which is 4.2 times the median household income ($43,128). 41.6% of households own their home, 38% below the state average (41.6% against 66.6%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Winston-Salem, NC metropolitan area has 271,980 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $46,380 a year, 9% below the national median ($46,380 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (29,770 jobs, median $45,440); healthcare practitioners and technical (27,200 jobs, median $79,610); food preparation and serving related (26,240 jobs, median $29,320). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.6 times) and production (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($109,080) and computer and mathematical ($97,060). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Davidson County was 3.2%. 54.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Davidson County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 70.4% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 4.2% walk, 7.3% work from home. 14.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 4% above the state average (14.4% against 13.9%).
12.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 64% below the state share (12.9% against 35.6%). 13.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 44% above the state share (13.1% against 9.1%). The poverty rate is 27.8%, 113% above the state rate (27.8% against 13.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (26.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 37°F (2.8°C). About 1,146 mm (45 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (115 mm) and Jan the driest (74 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Thomasville (12 miles, similar rent); Salisbury (15 miles, rent 20% higher); Clemmons (17 miles, rent 42% higher); Archdale (19 miles, rent 16% higher). Rent differences are against Lexington; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Carolina (495) →State guide: North CarolinaCountry guideDavidson CountyNorth Carolina rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 495 federal postings open in North Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in North Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 10,180 | 1.72 | $86,120 | $71,550 | $105,490 | -12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 6,790 | 1.00 | $30,100 | $22,520 | $45,180 | -15% |
| Cashiers | 6,220 | 1.15 | $28,130 | $22,720 | $35,100 | -14% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 6,120 | 5.46 | $27,280 | $22,030 | $34,880 | -12% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,490 | 1.06 | $37,160 | $29,860 | $48,700 | -8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 4,900 | 0.73 | $28,640 | $21,430 | $36,580 | -8% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,890 | 0.99 | $35,080 | $29,360 | $45,680 | -6% |
| Nursing Assistants | 4,450 | 1.76 | $38,660 | $32,510 | $45,630 | -9% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 3,980 | 2.36 | $46,370 | $36,560 | $54,680 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,940 | 0.99 | $29,550 | $16,770 | $58,510 | -16% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,770 | 0.83 | $38,410 | $29,120 | $58,800 | -14% |
| Office Clerks, General | 3,500 | 0.81 | $39,510 | $26,870 | $59,980 | -12% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,480 | 0.46 | $30,400 | $24,620 | $37,970 | -15% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,480 | 0.97 | $51,320 | $38,300 | $75,850 | -12% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 3,440 | 1.40 | $42,590 | $30,150 | $60,230 | -5% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,120 | 0.51 | $96,840 | $48,620 | $221,370 | -8% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,010 | 0.78 | $34,150 | $25,780 | $38,710 | -7% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2,880 | 1.20 | $48,360 | $34,220 | $63,590 | -5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,580 | 1.04 | $34,600 | $27,570 | $43,630 | -7% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 2,480 | 0.93 | $47,090 | $31,640 | $71,270 | -5% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 700 | 0.60 | $160,900 | $99,340 | $227,130 | -8% |
| Financial Managers | 980 | 0.66 | $155,030 | $94,520 | $301,980 | -7% |
| Pharmacists | 1,010 | 1.79 | $135,710 | $65,100 | $167,280 | -4% |
| Sales Managers | 690 | 0.62 | $132,550 | $65,670 | $251,940 | -11% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 750 | 1.32 | $130,840 | $105,120 | $161,520 | -1% |
| Physician Assistants | 730 | 2.57 | $130,730 | $104,580 | $169,210 | -4% |
| Managers, All Other | 740 | 0.68 | $129,160 | $68,500 | $217,780 | -9% |
| Lawyers | 830 | 0.63 | $126,250 | $45,010 | $317,580 | -21% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 660 | 1.52 | $124,880 | $73,830 | $201,990 | -1% |
| Software Developers | 1,050 | 0.36 | $124,130 | $78,700 | $169,360 | -9% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 920 | 0.88 | $118,440 | $74,610 | $218,700 | -4% |
| Construction Managers | 710 | 1.06 | $103,750 | $65,330 | $181,260 | -10% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 770 | 0.85 | $101,320 | $71,330 | $136,450 | -4% |
| Physical Therapists | 510 | 1.09 | $101,270 | $78,020 | $124,670 | -1% |
| Industrial Engineers | 750 | 1.17 | $97,760 | $68,830 | $133,940 | -5% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,120 | 0.51 | $96,840 | $48,620 | $221,370 | -8% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 520 | 0.69 | $94,600 | $42,210 | $149,700 | -19% |
| Registered Nurses | 10,180 | 1.72 | $86,120 | $71,550 | $105,490 | -12% |
| Management Analysts | 640 | 0.41 | $82,050 | $52,860 | $137,390 | -19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 500 | 1.33 | $80,310 | $50,420 | $160,030 | -8% |
These figures are for the whole Winston-Salem, NC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,380 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 23.2% |
| Retail trade | 19.4% |
| Education and health care | 15.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.4% |
| Construction | 9.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.1% |
| Other services | 3.9% |
| Public administration | 3.5% |
| Information | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Lexington lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | 172,954 | $7,125 million | $41,196 | 46,653 | 3,388 | $54,593 | +0.7% | 3.2% | 79,910 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 10,449 | 25.8% | $67,183 | 2.73 |
| Retail trade | 5,357 | 13.2% | $34,659 | 1.15 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,918 | 12.1% | $55,957 | 0.74 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,379 | 10.8% | $23,203 | 1.03 |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,233 | 8.0% | $44,592 | 1.18 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,453 | 6.1% | $58,387 | 1.33 |
| Construction | 2,438 | 6.0% | $56,679 | 1.00 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,514 | 3.7% | $55,458 | 0.77 |
| Management of companies | 1,237 | 3.1% | $161,414 | 1.57 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,222 | 3.0% | $40,820 | 0.87 |
| Professional and technical services | 928 | 2.3% | $74,355 | 0.29 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 780 | 1.9% | $59,241 | 0.99 |
| Finance and insurance | 581 | 1.4% | $64,642 | 0.31 |
| Real estate and rental | 394 | 1.0% | $50,890 | 0.54 |
| Educational services | 300 | 0.7% | $37,917 | 0.31 |
| Utilities | 140 | 0.3% | $85,311 | 0.79 |
| Information | 116 | 0.3% | $66,744 | 0.13 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 52 | 0.1% | $47,491 | 0.14 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 20 | 0.0% | $45,497 | 0.11 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 70.4% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 4.2% |
| Work from home | 7.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 14.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,128 |
| Income per person | $22,661 |
| Median gross rent per month | $893 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 24.8% |
| Median home value | $179,900 |
| Homeowners | 41.6% |
| Poverty rate | 27.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 92.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $46,380 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.99%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 79.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 12.9% |
| Born abroad | 13.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 54.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.8 | 37 | 74 |
| Feb | 4.6 | 40 | 75 |
| Mar | 9.0 | 48 | 90 |
| Apr | 14.6 | 58 | 93 |
| May | 19.5 | 67 | 103 |
| Jun | 24.2 | 76 | 109 |
| Jul | 26.2 | 79 | 115 |
| Aug | 25.5 | 78 | 112 |
| Sep | 21.9 | 71 | 106 |
| Oct | 15.4 | 60 | 88 |
| Nov | 9.0 | 48 | 88 |
| Dec | 4.9 | 41 | 93 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomasville | NC | 12 mi | 27,321 | $60,935 | $879 |
| Salisbury | NC | 15 mi | 35,825 | $53,716 | $1,071 |
| Clemmons | NC | 17 mi | 21,871 | $87,655 | $1,269 |
| Archdale | NC | 19 mi | 12,087 | $64,757 | $1,034 |
| High Point | NC | 21 mi | 116,245 | $64,561 | $1,116 |
| Winston-Salem | NC | 21 mi | 252,037 | $59,268 | $1,087 |
| Lewisville | NC | 23 mi | 13,828 | $100,917 | $1,095 |
| Kernersville | NC | 24 mi | 27,830 | $71,918 | $1,082 |
| Asheboro | NC | 26 mi | 27,580 | $47,197 | $906 |
| Kannapolis | NC | 30 mi | 57,890 | $73,836 | $1,319 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
19,690 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$893 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 24.8% of the median household income.
$43,128 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.2% (BLS county, Davidson County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.