Lee County, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lee County, FL 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 74% of counties in Florida
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 73% of counties in Florida
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 815,257 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 538.5 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.33% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.3 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 326,713 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lee County grew by 40.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 815,257 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lee County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.9% of residents. That is 6.3 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 138,712 17.0% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 141,748 17.4% -3.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 165,108 20.3% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 211,027 25.9% +6.3 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 Florida, 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 50.7% of the people living in Lee County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% Florida 51.0%
- Men 49.3% Florida 49.0%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Lee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,097 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.29% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lee County is about 2% higher than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Lee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $341,203 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,712 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.3% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lee County is about 16.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,712 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lee County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 225 hours, about 9.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.0 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.9 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 225 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,964 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.4% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,427 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,289 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Florida:
Taylor County (13.8 min), Monroe County (16.1 min), Franklin County (16.6 min).
Slowest:
Washington County (32.8 min), Osceola County (32.3 min), Liberty County (32.1 min).
The average commute time in Lee County is 27 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Florida.
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 C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Lee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.1% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.45 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.4), Leon County (0.4), Alachua County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hamilton County (0.1), Hendry County (0.1), Hardee County (0.1).
Health
Lee County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.3% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.8), Seminole County (0.8), Alachua County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glades County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8), Hendry County (0.8).
Lee County, FL Compared With Nearby Counties
Lee County, FL is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 815,257 residents against a local median of 201,064. The measure that sets Lee County, FL apart most is median home price: $341,203, 29% above the local median of $265,501.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 27.0 min against a local median of 22.5 min, 20% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 20% above the local median it puts Lee County, FL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $276,439 on median home price, so Lee County, FL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lee County, FL has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, FL | 815,257 | $76,097 #3/6 | $341,203 #3/6 | 27.0 min #6/6 |
| Charlotte County, FL | 201,064 | $69,727 | $265,501 | 21.6 min |
| DeSoto County, FL | 35,386 | $53,666 | $220,318 | 23.0 min |
| Collier County, FL | 398,267 | $90,750 | $487,922 | 22.5 min |
| Sarasota County, FL | 459,530 | $83,523 | $414,479 | 22.2 min |
| Hendry County, FL | 42,373 | $57,352 | $211,483 | 23.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lee County, Florida.
How big is Lee County, Florida by population?
About 815,257 people live in Lee County, Florida, in 326,713 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 47.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Lee County, Florida urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lee County, Florida has 538 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.2 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lee County, Florida?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($341,203 against $76,097), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,712 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Lee County, Florida?
Unemployment in Lee County, Florida is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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