Lee County, MS

County

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2024 Population

83,034

US Senator

Roger Wicker

Republican Party

US Senator

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

37.5

0.531% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

14.6%

5.5% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$67,863

1.07% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$199,500

6.23% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

38,207

0.487% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Lee County, MS reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.3% of the residents in Lee County, MS are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Lee County, MS was $199,500, and the homeownership rate was 70.8%.

Most people in Lee County, MS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Lee County, MS was 2 cars per household.

Lee County, MS borders Chickasaw County, MS, Itawamba County, MS, Monroe County, MS, Pontotoc County, MS, Prentiss County, MS, and Union County, MS.

United States Mississippi Tupelo, MS

Population & Diversity

Lee County, MS is home to a population of 83k people, from which 98.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.4% of Lee County, MS residents were born outside of the country (1.99k people).

In 2024, there were 2.09 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (51.9k people) in Lee County, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 24.8k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.68k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.3%

2024 Citizenship

98.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.3% of Lee County, MS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lee County, MS was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lee County, MS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lee County, MS

White (Non-Hispanic)
51.9k ± 200
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
24.8k ± 574
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.68k ± 466

3.53%

Hispanic Population

2.93k people

3.53% of the people in Lee County, MS are hispanic (2.93k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lee County, MS as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Mississippi.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
17,149 ± 3,206 people
Honduras
5,066 ± 1,746 people
India
4,341 ± 1,616 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Mississippi was Mexico, the natal country of 17,149 Mississippi residents, followed by Honduras with 5,066 and India with 4,341.

Foreign-Born Population

2.4%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.99k people

2.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2k people

As of 2024, 2.4% of Lee County, MS residents (1.99k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lee County, MS was 2.4%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lee County, MS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,078 ± 239
Gulf War (2001-)
868 ± 275
Gulf War (1990s)
384 ± 141

Lee County, MS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.24 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Lee County, MS.

Economy

The economy of Lee County, MS employs 38.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lee County, MS were Manufacturing (8,136 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,534 people), and Retail Trade (4,509 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($72,045), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($70,714), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,538).

Employment

Occupations

38.2k

2024 Value

± 1,695

−0.487%

1 Year decline

± 6.22%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lee County, MS declined at a rate of −0.487%, from 38.4k employees to 38.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lee County, MS, are Production Occupations (4,462 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,301 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (4,092 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lee County, MS.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Mississippi (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

38.2k

2024 Value

± 1,695

−0.487%

1 Year decline

± 6.22%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lee County, MS declined at a rate of −0.487%, from 38.4k employees to 38.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lee County, MS, are Manufacturing (8,136 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,534 people), and Retail Trade (4,509 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lee County, MS, though some of these residents may live in Lee County, MS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,157

Median earning men ± $2,666

$36,708

Median earning women ± $1,950

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,406), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($80,000), and Information ($66,033).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($52,930), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,321), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($46,084).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

Y-Axis

1.38%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.17M people employed in Mississippi. This represents a 1.38% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Mississippi.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

220
Retail Trade
145
Health Care and Social Assistance
135
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$540k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$501k
Manufacturing
$221k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing the state of Mississippi. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Mississippi is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Lee County, MS. Showing the available data for Mississippi.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (60.9%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.439%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Mississippi for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Mississippi

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

Roger Wicker

Senator from Mississippi

Assumed office on December 31, 2007
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Trent Lott.

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Senator from Mississippi

Assumed office on April 9, 2018
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Thad Cochran.

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing Mississippi.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Mississippi over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lee County, MS was $199,500 in 2024, which is 0.6 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $187,800 to $199,500, a 6.23% increase. The homeownership rate in Lee County, MS is 70.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lee County, MS have an average commute time of 20.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lee County, MS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lee County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.367%.

Housing

Property

$199,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,753

$23,067

Median Property Taxes

±$1,157

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lee County, MS the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Lee County, MS compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

70.8%

Homeownership

2024

65.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.8% of the housing units in Lee County, MS were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lee County, MS compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$67,863

Median Household Income

± $3,091

32.6k

Number of Households

± 1,504

In 2024, the median household income of the 32.6k households in Lee County, MS grew to $67,863 from the previous year's value of $67,144.

The following chart displays the households in Lee County, MS distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lee County, MS is from Mississippi.

0.45

2023 Wage GINI in Mississippi

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Mississippi

In 2023, the income inequality in Mississippi was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.442% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Mississippi was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Mississippi in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Mississippi across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (86%)
Carpooled (7.07%)
Worked At Home (5.35%)

In 2024, 86% of workers in Lee County, MS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.07%) and those who worked at home (5.35%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

20.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lee County, MS have a shorter commute time (20.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.99% of the workforce in Lee County, MS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lee County, MS compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lee County, MS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lee County, MS have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lee County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.367%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

14.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lee County, MS (11.9k out of 81.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lee County, MS is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 18.3% of the children was living in poverty in Lee County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 12.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2018, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 111 in Lee County, MS. From 2014 to 2018, the indicator declined 46.5 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.1% of the population of Lee County, MS has health coverage, with 47.6% on employee plans, 15.3% on Medicaid, 11.9% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 1.03% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lee County, MS see 846 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (846 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1338 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 117 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

846 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lee County, MS

Primary care physicians in Lee County, MS see an average of 846 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (846 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Lee County, MS in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.3% under 18 years, 20.6% between 18 and 34 years, 37.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.9%

Uninsured

47.6%

Employer Coverage

15.3%

Medicaid

11.9%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

1.03%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lee County, MS declined by 0.831% from 11% to 10.9%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lee County, MS changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 89.5 in Lee County, MS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lee County, MS.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.6% in Lee County, MS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lee County, MS.