Thousands of people leave Lexington County every day to spend their money somewhere else.
That’s according to data collected by the town of Lexington to track what economic development circles call “leakage” — the loss of local residents’ dollars when they go elsewhere to make their spending decisions, like cash escaping the county economy through a sieve.
Data reviewed by The State shows that millions crossed the county line in calendar year 2025, mostly heading into Columbia for their shopping excursions. Some of those trips represent a quick hop over the county line, like the 375,000 trips made by county residents to Costco, or the 469,000 trips to the Walmart in Ballentine…