If you are considering buying a new home in South Carolina and you have a family or hope to have children in the future, finding the best schools in SC is one of your top priorities when hunting for your dream home.
Of course, even if you don’t have children — or your children are grown — buying a home in a top school district is a wise move for resale value in the future. Demand for homes tends to be high in areas with great public schools. Higher demand equals higher property values.
Wondering what cities in South Carolina have the best schools? There are several top-notch schools in the state. One of our clients’ favorites here in the greater Columbia area happens to be in the town of Lexington in Lexington County, SC — Lexington School District 1. In fact, it’s one of the fastest growing districts in the state.
Why do so many people want to move to Lexington, SC?
Lexington District 1 Schools Are High-Ranking
Lexington 1 schools are known for being extremely competitive academically, athletically, and musically. Students are afforded almost any opportunity you can imagine to excel here. There are plenty of AP and honors programs available.
If you visit a cross country meet, basketball game, or football game, you’ll notice that the Lexington Wildcats and River Bluff Gators tend to dominate.
This district has over 27,000 students in K-12 and boasts a graduation rate that consistently hovers around 90%.
Lexington High School has been around since 1912 in the heart of Lexington, and yet they have kept up with the times and innovative learning environments and new state-of-the-art facilities for their students. River Bluff is a relatively new school, built in 2013, with a beautiful campus and modern architecture overlooks the Saluda River and is not far from Lake Murray.
When you want to find the best schools in SC, you can look up rankings on several websites:
Lexington County School District 1
- Overall Niche Grade = A
- #3 out of 79 in best school districts in South Carolina on Niche.com and Stacker.com
- #4 out of 79 in best school districts for athletes in South Carolina on Niche.com.
- #7 out of 78 in districts with the best teachers in South Carolina on Niche.com.
Lexington High School – 5A Division
- Overall Niche Grade = A
- #2 best public high school in Lexington County – Niche.com
- #16 best public high school in SC – Niche.com
- #16 in the state (in the Lexington 1 District) – USNews.com
River Bluff High – 5A Division
- Overall Niche Grade = A
- #1 best public high school in Lexington County – Niche.com
- #10 of 237 best public high schools in SC – Niche.com
- #34 in the state – USNews.com
There are numerous award-winning elementary schools in the district, as well like Lake Murray Elementary School. For a listing of the top elementary schools in the area by USNews.com, please click here.
Interested in Buying a New Spec Home in Lexington District 1?
We are currently building luxury homes in Golden Hills, a golf course community in the Lexington 1 area, and zoned for the prestigious River Bluff High School.
To see the house plans that are available and to inquire about touring a home, please click here.
Interested in building on your own lot in Lexington, SC? Check out our guide.
Where is Lexington 1 School District, Exactly?
Lexington 1 is primarily located in the area of the town of Lexington, SC, and some surrounding neighborhoods. It is about 15-20 minutes from downtown Columbia for easy access to the nightlife, businesses, and the sprawling University of South Carolina campus. Lexington also borders Lake Murray on the west side of the Lake Murray Dam.
Wondering if the property you are considering buying is in Lexington District 1? Here’s a Lexington 1 School District Map.
We’ve got some handy contact information for the district at the bottom of this post, as well.
Why Move to Lexington, SC?
We have had many people wanting to move into this area – and one of the primary reasons is this school district. It doesn’t hurt that Lexington sits along beautiful Lake Murray, one of the largest lakes in the state. It’s also close to Columbia, which is a moderately-sized city.
Recreation opportunities for days
There are plenty of recreational options nearby from all the lake activities to river walks, canoeing/kayaking on the river, parks, trails, and Riverbanks Zoo (ranked 7th in the nation).
And we are 2 hours away from the mountains or the beach which means you can have an easy day trip vacation to either one.
Business and wallet-friendly
Career opportunities are abundant here. Shopping and restaurants are plentiful. The town of Lexington has a good safety profile. And Lexington is very close to downtown Columbia which makes for an easy commute.
Property tax rates and the cost of living are much better here than in many places in the country. You can get more house for your budget here than in most large cities.
Mild winters and good weather
South Carolina has fairly temperate winters and yet we still have all four seasons, unlike some places farther south. We rarely have snow here. And though the summers are warm, if you have air conditioning, you can always head indoors. We are also far enough from the coast that hurricanes aren’t a major concern.
We hope you’ll visit Lexington, SC if you haven’t already. For so many people, as soon as they experience it, Lexington just feels like home.
Looking for a New Home in Lexington, SC?
Looking for a spec home to buy in Lexington, SC? We have a variety of home plans available in Golden Hills — a beautiful golf club community.
Or, if you want to buy your own land in Lexington and have us build a luxury home on your property, we can do that, too.
Please contact us today about getting started on your new dream home.
We build in areas like Lexington, Chapin, Irmo, West Columbia, downtown Columbia, Pine Ridge, Lake Carolina, Lake Murray, and more.
Related
Lake Murray: One of the Best Lakes to Live on in South Carolina
Our Top 13 Luxury Features for Custom Homes
Navigating Building on Your Own Land
The Top 10 Things to Do Around Lexington, SC
Moving to South Carolina — What to Expect with Weather
Contact Information for Lexington 1 District Office
District Office
- Lexington 1 website
- 803-821-1000
- 100 Tarrar Springs Rd., Lexington, SC 29072
- Lexington 1 Facebook page
River Bluff High School
- River Bluff High School website
- 803-821-0700
- 320 Corley Mill Rd., Lexington, SC 29072
Lexington High School
- Lexington High School Website
- 803-821-3400
- 2463 Augusta Hwy, Lexington, SC 29072
