Lee County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lee County, SC 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 South Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in South Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 73% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,166 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 39.3 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.46% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,351 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lee County declined by 19.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,166 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lee County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.5 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,502 21.7% +0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,245 20.1% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,422 21.2% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,174 19.6% +1.2 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 South 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 48.5% of the people living in Lee County and men 51.5%.
- Women 48.5% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 51.5% South Carolina 48.8%
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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,784 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.66% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lee County is about 35% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $114,583 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $823 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.5% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lee County is about 11.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $823 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lee County spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 220 hours, about 9.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.4 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.8 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 220 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,817 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.9% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,985 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 765 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Lee County is 26 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South 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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.7% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Lee County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.3 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.4% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.2% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Lee County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Lee County, SC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,166 residents against a local median of 62,559. The measure that sets Lee County, SC apart most is commute: 26.4 min, 27% above the local median of 20.8 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 12.0 min on commute, so Lee County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lee County, SC has the 4th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, SC | 16,166 | $44,784 #6/6 | $114,583 #4/6 | 26.4 min #4/6 |
| Sumter County, SC | 104,715 | $56,802 | $216,121 | 18.2 min |
| Darlington County, SC | 62,559 | $48,955 | $115,885 | 20.4 min |
| Kershaw County, SC | 68,312 | $69,050 | $104,062 | 30.1 min |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 43,782 | $49,072 | $244,705 | 20.8 min |
| Clarendon County, SC | 30,986 | $52,680 | $43,750 | 28.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lee County, South Carolina.
How many people live in Lee County, South Carolina?
About 16,166 people live in Lee County, South Carolina, in 6,351 households of 2.4 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, South Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lee County, South Carolina has 39 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 46% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lee County, South Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($114,583 against $44,784), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $823 a month takes about 22% 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, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Lee County, South Carolina is 6.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Lee County, South Carolina have a college degree?
13.7% of adults in Lee County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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