Lee County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lee County, AR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 92% of counties in Arkansas
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F
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Arkansas
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F
Education Well below averageLeast educated county in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lee County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,359 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 13.4 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.06% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,690 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lee County declined by 22.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,359 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lee County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,727 20.7% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,842 22.0% +1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,698 20.3% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,527 18.3% +0.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arkansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 44.3% of the people living in Lee County and men 55.7%.
- Women 44.3% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 55.7% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lee County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Lee County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,072 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.91% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 19.1% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lee County is about 44% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Lee County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $315,800 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $667 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.0% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lee County is about 39.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $667 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lee County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lee County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.7 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.4 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 173 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,351 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.8% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,907 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 204 | 912 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arkansas:
Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min).
Slowest:
Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).
The average commute time in Lee County is 21 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in Arkansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lee County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lee County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.8% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arkansas:
Pulaski County (0.3), Benton County (0.3), Washington County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2), Scott County (0.2).
Health
Lee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lee County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.5 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 26.3% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.4% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arkansas:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Phillips County (0.7), Chicot County (0.7), Desha County (0.8).
Lee County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lee County, AR compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, AR | 8,359 | $34,072 #2/2 | $315,800 #1/2 | 20.7 min #2/2 |
| St. Francis County, AR | 22,398 | $43,413 | $185,860 | 16.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lee County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Lee County, Arkansas?
About 8,359 people live in Lee County, Arkansas, in 2,690 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Lee County, Arkansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lee County, Arkansas has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 16% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lee County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 9.3 times the median household income ($315,800 against $34,072), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $667 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Lee County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Lee County, Arkansas is 19.1%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Lee County, Arkansas?
6.8% of adults in Lee County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 15), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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