Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,395, settled in 1933.
Lexington’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. Lexington’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, above both Mississippi’s towns (23 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 3 of Mississippi’s 184 towns do better. The median household income is $48K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 18 of Mississippi’s 187 towns score lower on the outdoors. Lexington has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Lexington Historic District and Holmes County Courthouse Complex. Lexington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Lexington beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Lexington | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 22.7% | 11.2% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Lexington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 656 in 1850, a peak of 3,198 in 1950, 1,602 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lexington, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Lexington.
37% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Lexington, where Mississippi’s towns sit at 27% and U.S. towns at 19%. 43% of adults feel lonely in Lexington. Among 102 Mississippi towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Lexington.
| Lexington | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 27% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 42% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 36% | 25% |
| What stands out | Lexington | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.5% | 13.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 22.7% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holmes Co Career Technical CenterLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
The typical Lexington home is worth about $109,000, about the same as a year ago, 44% below the Mississippi typical home. Lexington’s median rent is $685 a month.
| Lexington | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $685 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Lexington has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Lexington is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 46 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lexington.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Lexington for work: only 10% work in town. The top destinations are Jackson (9%), Greenwood (6%) and Canton (5%).
| Lexington | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 19% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 35 to 64 are 41% of residents (37% statewide). Lexington has lost 13% of its people since 2020, down to 1,395 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 14% of Lexington residents are 65 or older.
| Lexington | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 38.7 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
60% women, 40% men
About 67 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±10 points). Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 58% are men (MS 41%).
| Lexington | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.4% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.9% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.7% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.7% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.5% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.2% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.9% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 29.3% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.4% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.5% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lexington
About 4 of every 100 Lexington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
9 notable people were born in Lexington.
City in Mississippi, United States
Lexington is a city in and the county seat of Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. The county was organized in 1833 and the city in 1836. As of the 2020 census, Lexington had a population of 1,602. It has declined from its high of 3,198 in 1950 due to the expansion of industrial-scale agriculture.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
9 notable people were born here, including Edmond Noel and Hattie Winston.