Lee County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lee County, VA 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 91% of counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lee County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,899 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 50.1 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.59% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.7 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,524 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lee County declined by 12.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 21,899 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lee County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.2% of residents. That is 2.7 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,870 17.7% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,487 20.5% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,078 23.2% +2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,539 20.7% +4.2 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 Virginia, 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 47.8% of the people living in Lee County and men 52.2%.
- Women 47.8% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 52.2% Virginia 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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lee County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,003 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.44% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.5% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lee County is about 55% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Lee County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $277,925 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $737 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.0% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lee County is about 31.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $737 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lee County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lee County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.1 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,313 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,491 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 305 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Lee County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
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 | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Lee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lee County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.5% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.9% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Lee County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Lee County, VA is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 21,899 residents against a local median of 25,771. The measure that sets Lee County, VA apart most is median home price: $277,925, 166% above the local median of $104,521.
The counties themselves spread $206,076 on median home price, so Lee County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lee County, VA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, VA | 21,899 | $42,003 #2/4 | $277,925 #1/4 | 20.6 min #2/4 |
| Harlan County, KY | 25,771 | $41,438 | $104,521 | 17.3 min |
| Hawkins County, TN | 57,964 | $57,329 | $228,888 | 24.0 min |
| Letcher County, KY | 20,808 | $41,776 | $22,812 | 20.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lee County, Virginia.
How many people live in Lee County, Virginia?
About 21,899 people live in Lee County, Virginia, in 8,524 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Lee County, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lee County, Virginia has 50 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 58% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lee County, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.6 times the median household income ($277,925 against $42,003), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $737 a month takes about 21% 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, Virginia?
Unemployment in Lee County, Virginia is 9.5%, 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, Virginia have a college degree?
11.4% of adults in Lee County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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