Lexington earns a D, 253rd among Washington's 285 graded towns. One bright spot: 12% of its land is conserved. Only 1 of Washington’s 397 towns score lower on hazard risk. Lexington’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, above both Washington’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). Only 32 of Washington’s 396 towns score lower on walkability.

StrongestA⁻OutdoorsWeakestD⁻Hazard risk C⁻Walkability C⁻Cost of living

What makes Lexington stand out

Where Lexington beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD⁻

Riskier than 99% of U.S. communities

Volcanic activity and inland flooding at the top

FEMA National Risk Index.

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave Lexington for work

Where Lexington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

144jobs based in Lexington

1%of working residents work in town

28 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

How Lexington grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Lexington is from typical.

How grading works

Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities; volcanic activity tops the listD⁻Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC⁻Open →Cost of livingTypical home $360K, 4.7 years of the Longview metro’s $77K median household incomeC⁻Open →HealthPeacehealth St. John Medical Center 4.3 miles awayBOpen →SchoolsC⁺Open →Jobs & income$101K median household incomeB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors2 miles of trailsA⁻Open →HistoryDOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateMild winters, 80° summer afternoons, 2″ of snow–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.8; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Lexington: who provides what

Lexington is unincorporated, so Cowlitz County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerPUD No 1 of Cowlitz County9.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterBeacon Hill Water & Sewer DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesCowlitz CountyCowlitz County provides services here

SchoolsKelso School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereCowlitz County AuditorCowlitz County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025

ZIP code9862698626 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Lexington.

Lexington sends most of its workers to Longview and beyond and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Washington; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Washington (mostly volcanic activity).

OutdoorsA⁻

Lexington has set aside 11.5% of its land for conservation

2.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest place to walk is Riverside County Park, 53 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.

#60for trails in WA

11.5%

conserved · 104 of 910 acres

2.2 mi

of trails · 1.6 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Riverside County Park	1.5 mi	53

Full pageLexington’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map2.2 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk1.5 miles of trail · Riverside County Park Conserved land11.5% conserved · 104 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Lexington?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsC⁺

Lexington’s public schools trail 57% of Washington districts

Its public schools are run by the Kelso School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.

43%of WA districts it outscoresC⁺School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Lexington ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5	Grades K–5	854	–

Full pageLexington’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsKelso School District Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Every school2 schools · Lexington Elementary Questions“Are Lexington’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D⁻

Compared with most of Washington and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Lexington is higher

FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 100% of Washington towns, with expected losses of about $1,289 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.

At 100 of 100, Lexington’s FEMA risk score is against 69 of 100 in Washington’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns.

100risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Volcanic activityInland floodingEarthquakes

Full pageLexington’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters21 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get readyReady for volcanic activity

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B⁻

Most working residents commute out of Lexington

Lexington has 144 jobs for its 2,013 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.

Most working residents leave Lexington for work: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in Lexington grew to 144 in 2023, 80 more than in 2013. 3.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Lexington.

1%work in town

	Lexington	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	3.5%	7.9%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	1%	5%	8%
Average trip to work	24 minutes	27 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$101,000	$98,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Lexington1%

Longview24%

Kelso8%

Vancouver7%

Portland5%

28 mi

median commute distance

144

jobs based in Lexington

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

C−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns

Full pageLexington’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here144 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work1% work in Lexington Commute times24 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 28 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Lexington has mild winters and pleasant summers

Lexington has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Lexington’s July high is 79°F.

2″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter35–48°

Spring41–62°

Summer52–77°

Fall43–63°

Nov 5

typical first frost

Apr 8

typical last frost

+1.4°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageLexington’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 79°, January lows 35°Rain & snow2″ of snow a winter · 48 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.4° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthB

On CDC estimates, Lexington is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns

Within Washington it is less healthy than 67% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar. Against the 8,382 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lexington’s, it is less healthy than 55%: its national edge comes with its incomes.

Lexington beats the Washington average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 71% of Lexington adults had a checkup this year.

64%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade

	Lexington	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	71%	71%	79%
Depression (CDC PLACES)	28%	26%	23%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	38%	33%	35%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	18%	17%	17%

31 measures vs. Washington

1 better22 too close to call8 worse

What stands out	Lexington	WA
More adults screened for colon cancer	70.6%	66.2%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	14%	9%

Peacehealth St. John Medical Center

4.3 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

33rd

percentile among WA towns

Full pageLexington’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby4.3 miles to an ER · Peacehealth St. John Medical Center How adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than WA on 1 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

HousingCost of living grade C⁻

A home in Lexington sells for about $376K at the median

The median rent in Lexington is $1,607 a month.

$376Kmedian sale price

	Lexington	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	80%	70%	73%
Median rent	$1,607 a month	$1,740 a month	$1,185 a month

Market temperature

days on market

100.6%

sale-to-list price

homes sold in May

Full pageLexington’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsPrices over the years Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.7 years of income Rents$1,607 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lexington

17pages on Lexington

The big questions

SchoolsC⁺Behind 57% of WA districts · 2 schools HealthBBetter than WA on 1 of 31 CDC measures Cost of livingC⁻Work & commuteB⁻$101K median household income · 144 jobs here Natural hazardsD⁻FEMA risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities · volcanic activity

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁻2 mi of trails · 12% conserved land PlacesAttractions182 nearby · Gospodor Monument Park 19 mi LibraryKelso Public Library CollegesLower Columbia College is 3.5 mi away

The story

HistoryDSettled 1888 Climate80° summer highs · 2″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Lexington

Lower Columbia CollegeCommunity college · Public · Longview3.5 mi$4,626 in-state tuition

About 7 of every 100 Lexington residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Lexington

Census-designated place in Washington, United States

Lexington is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,834 at the 2020 census. During the 2010 census, Lexington was part of the West Side Highway CDP. The CDP is in the western part of the county and is bordered to the southwest by Beacon Hill and to the east by the Cowlitz River. State Route 411 runs through the community, following the Cowlitz. It leads south 4 miles (6 km) to Longview and north 8 miles (13 km) to Castle Rock.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Elevation: 33 ft

Lexington’s neighbors

One town shares a border with Lexington.

Explore the map →

Beacon HillLexington

Beacon Hill

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	WA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Lexington	#253	D	C⁻	—	C⁺	B
Beacon Hill	—	—	B⁻	—	C⁺	B⁻

Beacon Hill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lexington and Beacon Hill report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lexington with a neighbor →

Questions about Lexington

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Lexington, WA a good place to live?

Lexington grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #253 of 285 in Washington. It grades B for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Lexington, WA expensive?

Yes. The typical home is worth about $360,000, 39% below the Washington typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.

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