Lexington County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lexington, West Columbia and Cayce
Lexington County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Lexington County. Lexington County is home to Lexington, West Columbia, most of Cayce (13,176 of its 13,680 residents) and most of Batesburg-Leesville (4,824 of its 5,346 residents). Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 134,271 jobs in 2025, up 9.9% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 46 South Carolina counties). 158 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Lexington County
Lexington County is home to Lexington, West Columbia, most of Cayce (13,176 of its 13,680 residents) and most of Batesburg-Leesville (4,824 of its 5,346 residents).
- Cayce also extends into Richland County.
- Batesburg-Leesville also extends into Saluda County.
- Irmo also extends into Richland County.
- Columbia also extends into Richland County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Edmund, Fairview Crossroads, Oak Grove, Red Bank, Seven Oaks, White Knoll.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Lexington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 294,989 | 317,588 | ▲ 7.7% | 6th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 122,192 | 134,271 | ▲ 9.9% | 8th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,072 | $58,208 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 925 | 780 | ▼ 15.7% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,948 | 966 | ▼ 50.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 191 | 48 | ▼ 74.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 158 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 708 MW of capacity, 41% of it natural gas. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc is the largest utility serving Lexington County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024. 317,588 people live here, up 7.7% since 2020, 6th of 46 South Carolina counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 780, down 15.7% since 2019 against up 10.4% statewide, at an average $64,644 a year.
Who powers Lexington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +158 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lexington County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 696,385 | 14.59¢ | 36% |
| Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,463 | 14.88¢ | 22% |
| Aiken Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,460 | 15.53¢ | 14% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (SC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,672 | 18.51¢ | 13% |
| Newberry Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,970 | 16.32¢ | 30% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 294 MW | 41% |
| Hydro | 207 MW | 29% |
| Solar | 207 MW | 29% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McMeekin | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Natural gas | 294 MW | 1958 |
| Saluda Lexington | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Hydro | 207 MW | 1930 |
| Allora Solar, LLC | Allora Solar, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2023 |
| Gunsight Solar, LLC | Gunsight Solar, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2022 |
| Champion Solar | SunStrong Management | Solar | 11 MW | 2017 |
| Swamp Fox Solar | SunStrong Management | Solar | 11 MW | 2017 |
The Lexington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 134,271 | $58,208 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 780 | $64,644 | 0.81 |
| Electric utilities | 966 | $116,773 | 2.66 |
| Data processing and hosting | 48 | $99,602 | 0.12 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Lexington County
1 data center in Lexington County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Lexington County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lexington County, Richland County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington County | 317,588 | ▲ 9.9% | 708 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Aiken County | 181,515 | ▲ 8.7% | 855 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Calhoun County | 14,188 | ▼ 1.9% | 907 MW | — | — | — |
| Newberry County | 39,561 | ▼ 1.1% | 3 MW | 71 MW | — | 2 |
| Orangeburg County | 83,177 | ▼ 6.0% | 716 MW | 174 MW | — | 1 |
| Richland County | 434,956 | ▲ 2.7% | 992 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Saluda County | 19,680 | ▼ 5.2% | 160 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Lexington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lexington County, South Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Lexington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc, Aiken Electric Coop Inc, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (SC). The largest, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lexington, SC in?
Lexington is in Lexington County, South Carolina. About 25,729 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is West Columbia, SC in?
West Columbia is in Lexington County, South Carolina. About 18,489 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Cayce, SC in?
Most of Cayce is in Lexington County: 13,176 of its 13,680 residents, or 96%. The rest of the city lies in Richland County.
What power plants are in Lexington County?
11 operating plants with 708 MW of capacity. The largest is McMeekin (294 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Lexington County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Lexington County.
Is Lexington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 134,271 jobs in 2025 against 122,192 in 2019 (+9.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lexington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lexington County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.