Lee County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lee County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 65,807 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 253.9 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.26% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 25,144 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lee County grew by 13.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 65,807 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lee County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.0% of residents. That is 0.4 points below North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,618 20.7% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,805 21.0% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,377 20.3% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,329 17.2% +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 North Carolina, 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 50.8% of the people living in Lee County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.2% North Carolina 48.9%
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 | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,701 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.62% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lee County is about 8% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Lee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $312,150 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,017 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.3% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lee County is about 25.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,017 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lee County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.9 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,413 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,362 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,125 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Lee County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
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 | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Lee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.1% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.6% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Lee County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Lee County, NC is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 65,807 residents against a local median of 104,876. The measure that sets Lee County, NC apart most is median home price: $312,150, 60% above the local median of $194,860.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.0 min against a local median of 26.7 min, 22% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 22% below the local median it puts Lee County, NC at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $149,031 on median home price, so Lee County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lee County, NC has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, NC | 65,807 | $66,701 #4/6 | $312,150 #1/6 | 21.0 min #2/6 |
| Chatham County, NC | 80,150 | $93,685 | $194,860 | 26.7 min |
| Harnett County, NC | 139,132 | $71,432 | $173,335 | 30.6 min |
| Moore County, NC | 104,876 | $84,708 | $265,450 | 22.9 min |
| Hoke County, NC | 53,784 | $64,852 | $197,321 | 27.6 min |
| Cumberland County, NC | 338,542 | $61,555 | $116,419 | 18.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lee County, North Carolina.
How big is Lee County, North Carolina by population?
About 65,807 people live in Lee County, North Carolina, in 25,144 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Lee County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Lee County, North Carolina has 254 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lee County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($312,150 against $66,701), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,017 a month takes about 18% 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, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Lee County, North Carolina is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Lee County, North Carolina have a college degree?
19.2% of adults in Lee County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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