Lee County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lee County, KY 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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D
Health Well below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Kentucky
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F
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 94% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lee County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,339 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 34.7 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.80% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,595 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lee County declined by 1.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,339 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lee County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.4% of residents. That is 3.3 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,377 18.8% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,589 21.6% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,717 23.4% +3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,410 19.2% +1.4 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 Kentucky, 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 44.9% of the people living in Lee County and men 55.1%.
- Women 44.9% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 55.1% Kentucky 49.5%
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 | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,016 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.22% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lee County is about 42% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Lee County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $112,500 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $603 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.7% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lee County is about 15.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $603 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lee County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 196 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lee County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.6 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.2 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 196 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,091 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,335 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 222 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Lee County is 24 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
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 | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.9% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Lee County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Lee County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.7 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 31.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 34.2% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lee County, Kentucky.
How big is Lee County, Kentucky by population?
About 7,339 people live in Lee County, Kentucky, in 2,595 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Lee County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Lee County, Kentucky has 35 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 40% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lee County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($112,500 against $37,016), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $603 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Lee County, Kentucky?
6.9% of adults in Lee County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 15), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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