Lexington, NC Homes For Rent

Homes for Rent in Lexington, NC: What You Need to Know

Lexington in central North Carolina is known for two things: barbecues and fast cars. The city touts itself as the Barbecue Capital of the World. It’s also home to the Richard Childress Racing team.

Local Culture

The Lexington Barbecue Festival, founded in 1984, is one big annual party celebrating the city’s favorite food. Lexington-style barbecue entails slow cooking of pork over a fire, preferably using hickory wood. In this city, barbecue is served with red slaw. Wherever you go in Lexington, pig sculptures will remind you that the city is a bastion of barbecue. The "Pigs in the City" public art initiative commissioned artists to create the sculptures.

Things to Do in Town

NASCAR fans flock to the Richard Childress Racing Museum in the suburb of Welcome (six miles away). The museum’s car collection tells the story of the incredible success of RCR Enterprises as a team. The exhibit includes the cars that won the 1998 Daytona 500 and the 1995 Brickyard 400. RCR, owned by former NASCAR driver Richard Childress, competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. Families love the 110-acre Boone’s Cave Park, featuring hiking trails, historical markers, access to Yadkin River, and a cabin. The park is a tribute to American frontiersman Daniel Boone whose family lived along the river in the spring of 1750. Legend says the small cave in the park was the hideout of Boone.

Cost of Living

Many people who work in nearby Winston-Salem and Greensboro live in Lexington (population: 18,933). The median gross rent in the city is $653. Lexington’s cost of living rate and housing costs are 8.1% and 6% lower than the national average, respectively, although food cost is 11.1% higher than the national average. In North Carolina, everyone pays the same income tax: a flat rate of 5.25%. The state imposes 4.75% in sales tax, plus counties collect their own sales tax, ranging from 2% to 2.75%. 

Know Your Neighborhoods

As a bedroom community, Lexington gets kudos for its great amenities and affordability. The majority of its residents are renters. Other popular suburbs are Thomasville, the former headquarters of the furniture manufacturer with the same name, and Wallburg, a quiet community where everybody knows everybody.

Shopping Local

On Main Street, you’ll find a wide array of antique stores and locally owned shops.  When you smell the rich barbecue aroma, you won’t be able to resist the numerous barbecue restaurants around you. Lexington is part of the region known for fine furniture craftsmanship. Lexington Home Brands Factory Outlet and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet are popular shopping destinations.