Lexington, North Carolina

Lexington is the of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. It is near the larger city of Winston-Salem. As of the, the city had a population of 18,931. It is located in central North Carolina, 20 mi south of Winston-Salem.

Lexington, Thomasville, and the rural areas surrounding them are slowly developing as residential bedroom communities for nearby cities such as Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point.

History
People from first moved to the area in 1775. The town is named after the city of Lexington, Massachusetts, where the of the  happened. Lexington became a city in 1828. Until the late 1990s, Lexington's economy was based on  and. Since then, most local manufacturers have moved their production facilities to and  to reduce costs. This caused most textile and furniture factories to close, creating economic difficulties in the area.

The oldest remaining house in Lexington is The Homestead, built by Dr. William Rainey Holt (1798–1868), a born in Alamance County, also the Erlanger Mill Village Historic District, First Reformed Church, Grace Episcopal Church, Grimes Brothers Mill, Grimes School, Hedrick's Grove Reformed Church, Junior Order United American Mechanics National Orphans Home, Lexington Memorial Hospital, Lexington Residential Historic District, Old Davidson County Courthouse, Pilgrim Reformed Church Cemetery, Henry Shoaf Farm, Uptown Lexington Historic District, and John Henry Welborn House are listed on the. Dr. Holt was the President of the North Carolina Agricultural Society and was one of the first to introduce  to North Carolina.

Barbecue
Lexington calls itself the "Barbecue Capital of the World". Starting in 1984, the city has the each year, one of the largest street s in North Carolina. In 2012, the ranked Lexington as #4 on its list of the best cities for barbecue. Lexington-style barbecue is made with shoulder cooked slowly over a  fire, usually  wood. It is served with a sauce made with, , water, salt, pepper and other spices. There are many different way to make this sauce, mild, tangy, sweet or spicy.

The most distinguishing feature of the "Lexington Barbecue Sandwich" is the inclusion of (sometimes called "barbecue slaw"). Red slaw is a combination of cabbage, vinegar, ketchup and crushed/ground black pepper. Red slaw is distinguishable from because red slaw contains no mayonnaise. Many Lexingtonians (and visitors) consider red slaw a staple for a quality barbecue experience. Red slaw is commonly served as a side dish with barbecue, grilled poultry and other meats, and on as a relish.

Pigs in the City
Pigs in the City is a public art display managed by Uptown Lexington, Inc., a organization that has the goal of increasing the usage of the  area of Lexington. Pigs in the City began in 2003 and 40,000 visitors from all over the state came to see the event in the first year. Since 2006, the event has been held every year. There are usually 20 or more of these statues on display during the event. Companies pay $1,000 each to sponsor one of the pigs, which pays for the event.

High Rock Lake
High Rock Lake is the second largest lake in North Carolina and located near Lexington. Its water surface covers 15180 acre and there are 365 mi of. It begins where the and the South Yadkin River come together. High Rock Lake has long been considered one of the best fishing lakes of North Carolina. There have been a number of national fishing tournaments held at the lake, such as Bassmaster Tournaments, like the  in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2007. The lake has large numbers of fish, including, , and catfish, plus  and several different  such as ,  and others. and their as well as  are also abundant. The lake is best known for its quantity and quality of.

The Bob Timberlake Gallery
The Bob Timberlake Gallery is in Lexington. It opened in 1997, and features original artwork, reproductions, personal memorabilia, as well as home furnishings from the artist.

Geography
Lexington is in the. It is centered at 35°49'0" North, 80°15'31" West (35.816768, -80.258643), in the valley of the. Lexington is 11 mi northeast of, part of the - chain of lakes in central North Carolina.

According to the, the city has a total area of 17.6 sqmi, of which, 17.6 sqmi of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

It is bordered to the north and west by, to the south and east by. Both interstates come together just southwest of the city. Additionally, 4 U.S. Highway Routes,, , , and state highways  and  intersect the city.

Climate
Thunderstorms are common during the spring and summer months, including some severe storms. Being in central North Carolina, between the and the Mid-Atlantic coast, Lexington has a, with moderate temperatures during spring and autumn and warm to hot summers. Winters are relatively mild and wet with highs typically in the 40s to 50s and overnight lows averaging just below freezing.

Demographics


As of the of 2010, there are 18,931 people in the city, organized into 7,376 households. This represents a population reduction of 1022 persons, or 5%, when compared to the 2000 census. The median age is 37.4 years for all persons (39.4 for females, 35.2 for males).

Of the total population, 15.1% are at least 65 years old, 24.6% are under the age of 18, with the remaining 60.3% of the population being persons from 18 to 64. Males comprise 48.1% and females make up 51.9% of the total population. Caucasians make up 54.7% of the total population (including 16.3% that are Latino), African-Americans 28.4% and Asians represent 2.9% of the population. Fully 10.7% of the population identifies itself as Some other race while 2.6% are Two or more races. Other races each represent less than 1% each of the total population.

Of the total 7,376 households, 4,581 are considered Family households, including 2067 that have children under 18. The average household size is 2.44 persons, and the average family size is 3.08 persons. There are 8,938 total housing units, of which the 7376 are households, for an occupancy rate of 82.5%. 47.6% of these households are owner-occupied, while 52.4% are renters.

According to the 2000 census, The for a household in the city is $26,226, and the median income for a family is $32,339. Males have a median income of $25,555 versus $20,939 for females. The for the city is $15,310. 21.2% of the population and 16.7% of families are below the. Out of the total population, 31.7% of those under the age of 18 and 18.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The global outsourcing of textile and furniture manufacturing has damaged Lexington's economy.