Staff Report //August 10, 2018//
Lexington County ranks in the top 10 of S.C. counties receiving the most incoming investments, according to a study from financial technology company SmartAsset.
The study aimed to find the counties with the highest investment from business, real estate, government and the local economy. Factors used in the study included business establishment growth, GDP growth, new building permits and federal funding.
Lexington finished 10th overall with an incoming investment index of 43.66. Lancaster County finished first with an index of 67.17.
Lexington’s highest ranking among factors was fifth in GDP growth $298 million. Richland County finished third overall in the state in the same category.
Lexington’s business growth was 2.3%, new building permits were 16.5 per 1,000 homes and federal funding was $244 per capita.
Rank | County | Business Growth |
GDP Growth (millions) |
New Building Permits1 |
Federal Funding2 |
Incoming Investment Index |
1 | Lancaster | 5.6% | $172 | 34.1 | $9 | 67.17 |
2 | Berkeley | 6.8% | $378 | 24.2 | $999 | 56.42 |
3 | Jasper | 12.5% | $80 | 20.5 | $288 | 56.18 |
4 | Charleston | 8.0% | $1,705 | 21.6 | $2,135 | 55.39 |
5 | York | 5.2% | $624 | 23.6 | $35 | 54.47 |
6 | Horry | 4.1% | $1,130 | 20.5 | $33 | 50.26 |
7 | Greenville | 3.9% | $1,670 | 18.3 | $3,583 | 48.26 |
8 | Dorchester | 4.4% | $293 | 17.6 | $173 | 46.19 |
9 | Beaufort | 4.9% | $666 | 16.0 | $183 | 45.10 |
10 | Lexington | 2.3% | $829 | 16.5 | $244 | 43.66 |
SC | -0.3% | $298 | 8.9 | $727 |
1.Permits per 1,000 homes
2.Funding per capita
Source: SmartAsset.com study: "Places With the Most Incoming Investments"