Lee County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lee County, IL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,849 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 46.5 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,330 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lee County declined by 3.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,849 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lee County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 1.3 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,355 18.8% -2.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,057 20.8% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,335 21.7% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,575 19.4% +2.5 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 Illinois, 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 47.2% of the people living in Lee County and men 52.8%.
- Women 47.2% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 52.8% Illinois 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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Lee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,910 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.20% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lee County is about 16% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Lee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $46,666 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $894 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.6% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lee County is about 4.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $894 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lee County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.8 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,629 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,286 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 537 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Illinois:
Edgar County (12.0 min), Brown County (12.7 min), Morgan County (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Calhoun County (43.8 min), Pulaski County (31.2 min), Pope County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Lee County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Illinois.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.4), Champaign County (0.4), Lake County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hardin County (0.2), Fayette County (0.2), Perry County (0.2).
Health
Lee County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.9% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.8), Champaign County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8).
Lowest:
Alexander County (0.8), Pulaski County (0.8), Gallatin County (0.8).
Lee County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Lee County, IL is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 33,849 residents against a local median of 76,094. Lee County, IL's median home price, at $46,666, runs 65% below the $133,941 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $247,083 on median home price, so Lee County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lee County, IL has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, IL | 33,849 | $70,910 #4/5 | $46,666 #5/5 | 17.9 min #2/5 |
| Ogle County, IL | 51,485 | $81,962 | $169,914 | 22.3 min |
| Bureau County, IL | 32,861 | $69,533 | $87,129 | 17.7 min |
| DeKalb County, IL | 100,702 | $71,059 | $334,212 | 21.0 min |
| LaSalle County, IL | 108,714 | $73,482 | $97,968 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lee County, Illinois.
How big is Lee County, Illinois by population?
About 33,849 people live in Lee County, Illinois, in 13,330 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Lee County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Lee County, Illinois has 46 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 54% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lee County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($46,666 against $70,910), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $894 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Lee County, Illinois?
17.9% of adults in Lee County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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