Lee County, NC

County

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2024 Population

65,816

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.5

1% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

16.5%

6.52% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$65,387

3.69% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$240,200

12.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

30,215

2.86% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Lee County, NC 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.

92.6% of the residents in Lee County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lee County, NC are Central Carolina Community College (1,413 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Lee County, NC was $240,200, and the homeownership rate was 67.3%.

Most people in Lee County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Lee County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Lee County, NC borders Chatham County, NC, Harnett County, NC, and Moore County, NC.

United States North Carolina Sanford, NC

Population & Diversity

Lee County, NC is home to a population of 65.8k people, from which 92.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.89% of Lee County, NC residents were born outside of the country (6.51k people).

In 2024, there were 3.24 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.7k people) in Lee County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 11.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 5.15k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.6%

2024 Citizenship

92.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.6% of Lee County, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lee County, NC was 92.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lee County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
36.7k ± 193
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
11.3k ± 454
White (Hispanic)
5.15k ± 980

21.7%

Hispanic Population

14.3k people

21.7% of the people in Lee County, NC are hispanic (14.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lee County, NC 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 North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

9.89%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

6.51k people

9.56%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6.18k people

As of 2024, 9.89% of Lee County, NC residents (6.51k 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, NC was 9.56%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,206 ± 276
Vietnam
856 ± 285
Gulf War (1990s)
613 ± 209

Lee County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.41 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Lee County, NC employs 30.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lee County, NC were Manufacturing (5,620 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,294 people), and Retail Trade (3,225 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($143,125), Information ($70,194), and Utilities ($63,403).

Employment

Occupations

30.2k

2024 Value

± 1,508

2.86%

1 Year growth

± 6.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lee County, NC grew at a rate of 2.86%, from 29.4k employees to 30.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lee County, NC, are Production Occupations (4,149 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,305 people), and Management Occupations (2,504 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lee County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (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

30.2k

2024 Value

± 1,508

2.86%

1 Year growth

± 6.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lee County, NC grew at a rate of 2.86%, from 29.4k employees to 30.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lee County, NC, are Manufacturing (5,620 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,294 people), and Retail Trade (3,225 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lee County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Lee County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,432

Median earning men ± $1,935

$35,594

Median earning women ± $1,850

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($71,222), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,795), and Public Administration ($66,466).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($73,125), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($45,706), and Wholesale Trade ($44,559).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% 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 10.9%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

110
Other Services (except Public Administration)
103
Retail Trade
99
Construction

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

$609k
Manufacturing
$117k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$109k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Lee County, NC awarded 1,413 degrees. The student population of Lee County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,067 male students and 3,507 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lee County, NC are White (763 and 54.1%), Hispanic or Latino (319 and 22.6%), Black or African American (219 and 15.5%), and Unknown (54 and 3.83%).

The largest universities in Lee County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Central Carolina Community College (1,413 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Lee County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (280 and 19.8%), General Business Administration & Management (96 and 6.79%), and Welding Technology (83 and 5.87%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 5,574 students enrolled in Lee County, NC, 37.1% men and 62.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,767 records, of which 61.8% were women and 38.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Welding Technology
73 degrees awarded
Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist
46 degrees awarded
Library & Archives Assisting
40 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Lee County, NC was Welding Technology with 73 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Lee County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Central Carolina Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,413 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Central Carolina Community College with 1,413 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 641 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lee County, NC, which is 0.83 times less than the 772 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 763 degrees mean that there were 2.39 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 319 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,432) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($122) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,460) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lee County, NC was $240,200 in 2024, which is 0.722 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $213,800 to $240,200, a 12.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Lee County, NC is 67.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lee County, NC have an average commute time of 25.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lee County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lee County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.95%.

Housing

Property

$240,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,383

$16,927

Median Property Taxes

±$996

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, NC 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, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67.3%

Homeownership

2024

65.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.3% of the housing units in Lee County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lee County, NC 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.

$65,387

Median Household Income

± $3,096

25.1k

Number of Households

± 1,356

In 2024, the median household income of the 25.1k households in Lee County, NC grew to $65,387 from the previous year's value of $63,060.

The following chart displays the households in Lee County, NC 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, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (80.2%)
Carpooled (9.6%)
Worked At Home (6.65%)

In 2024, 80.2% of workers in Lee County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.6%) and those who worked at home (6.65%).

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

25.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lee County, NC have a shorter commute time (25.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.65% of the workforce in Lee County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lee County, NC 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, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lee County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lee County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.95%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

16.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lee County, NC (10.7k out of 64.7k 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 35 - 44, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 22.9% of the children was living in poverty in Lee County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.9%.

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 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 181 in Lee County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 35.6 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

87.8% of the population of Lee County, NC has health coverage, with 39.8% on employee plans, 19.6% on Medicaid, 12.4% on Medicare, 13.2% on non-group plans, and 2.97% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lee County, NC see 1,944 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,944 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1871 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 459 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,944 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lee County, NC

Primary care physicians in Lee County, NC see an average of 1,944 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,944 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.2% under 18 years, 19.9% between 18 and 34 years, 38.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.2%

Uninsured

39.8%

Employer Coverage

19.6%

Medicaid

12.4%

Medicare

13.2%

Non-Group

2.97%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lee County, NC declined by 1.55% from 12.4% to 12.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lee County, NC 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 69.9 in Lee County, NC.

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

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 38.4% in Lee County, NC.

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