Lee County, VA

County

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2023 Population

22,042

1.1% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

45.4

0.442% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

27.6%

6.18% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$42,269

1.56% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$98,700

3.03% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

7,060

1.89% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Lee County, VA had a population of 22k people with a median age of 45.4 and a median household income of $42,269. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Lee County, VA declined from 22,287 to 22,042, a −1.1% decrease and its median household income grew from $41,619 to $42,269, a 1.56% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Lee County, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.13%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.27%), White (Hispanic) (1.2%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.889%).

None of the households in Lee County, VA 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.

99.2% of the residents in Lee County, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Lee County, VA was $98,700, and the homeownership rate was 73.9%.

Most people in Lee County, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Lee County, VA was 2 cars per household.

Lee County, VA borders Bell County, KY, Harlan County, KY, Claiborne County, TN, Hancock County, TN, Scott County, VA, and Wise County, VA.

United States Virginia

Population & Diversity

Lee County, VA is home to a population of 22k people, from which 99.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.22% of Lee County, VA residents were born outside of the country (268 people).

In 2023, there were 22.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20.2k people) in Lee County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 911 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 280 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

99.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.2% of Lee County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Lee County, VA was 99.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lee County, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
20.2k ± 17
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
911 ± 45
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
280 ± 69.1

2.3%

Hispanic Population

507 people

2.3% of the people in Lee County, VA are hispanic (507 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Lee County, VA 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 Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,605 ± 8,003 people
India
98,735 ± 7,670 people
Mexico
59,855 ± 5,986 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,605 Virginia residents, followed by India with 98,735 and Mexico with 59,855.

Foreign-Born Population

1.22%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

268 people

1.36%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

303 people

As of 2023, 1.22% of Lee County, VA residents (268 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lee County, VA was 1.36%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
412 ± 181
Vietnam
378 ± 131
Gulf War (1990s)
178 ± 87

Lee County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.09 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Lee County, VA employs 7.06k people. The largest industries in Lee County, VA are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,271 people), Educational Services (751 people), and Construction (746 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($67,813), Transportation & Warehousing ($60,684), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($49,531).

Males in Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $69,674. The income inequality in Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.475, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

7.06k

2023 Value

± 693

−1.89%

1 Year decline

± 13.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Lee County, VA declined at a rate of −1.89%, from 7.2k employees to 7.06k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lee County, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (642 people), Management Occupations (604 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (603 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lee County, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

7.06k

2023 Value

± 693

−1.89%

1 Year decline

± 13.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Lee County, VA declined at a rate of −1.89%, from 7.2k employees to 7.06k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lee County, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,271 people), Educational Services (751 people), and Construction (746 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lee County, VA, though some of these residents may live in Lee County, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,718

Median earning men ± $5,461

$33,648

Median earning women ± $4,149

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,895), Manufacturing ($54,028), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,496).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($39,190), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,962), and Public Administration ($32,941).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% 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 10.8%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

24
Retail Trade
19
Retail Trade
17
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$21.9k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$18.4k
Retail Trade
$9.88k
Construction

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Lee County, VA went to Donald J. Trump with 84.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (15%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.784%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (84.1%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (15%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.784%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Lee County, VA went to Donald J. Trump with 84.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (15%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.784%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Lee County, VA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

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

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

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 Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.884% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.904% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.71M), Bachelors Degree (1.47M), and Some college (1.4M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lee County, VA was $98,700 in 2023, which is 0.325 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $95,800 to $98,700, a 3.03% increase. The homeownership rate in Lee County, VA is 73.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Lee County, VA have an average commute time of 26.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lee County, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Lee County, VA is $42,269. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Lee County, VA was Census Tract 9504 with a value of $56,581, followed by Census Tract 9506 and Census Tract 9502, with respective values of $50,394 and $44,684.

In 2023, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lee County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.339%.

Housing

Property

$98,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$9,944

$6,242

Median Property Taxes

±$544

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, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

73.9%

Homeownership

2023

70%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 73.9% of the housing units in Lee County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 72.2%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9504
Census Tract 9506
Census Tract 9502

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Lee County, VA was Census Tract 9504 with a value of $56,581, followed by Census Tract 9506 and Census Tract 9502, with respective values of $50,394 and $44,684.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Lee County, VA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$42,269

Median Household Income

± $3,974

8.45k

Number of Households

± 684

In 2023, the median household income of the 8.45k households in Lee County, VA grew to $42,269 from the previous year's value of $41,619.

The following chart displays the households in Lee County, VA 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lee County, VA is from Virginia.

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.164% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (84.3%)
Worked At Home (7.53%)
Carpooled (6.6%)

In 2023, 84.3% of workers in Lee County, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.53%) and those who carpooled to work (6.6%).

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

26.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lee County, VA have a shorter commute time (26.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.89% of the workforce in Lee County, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lee County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.339%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

27.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lee County, VA (5.62k out of 20.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lee County, VA is White, followed by Two Or More 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 2023, 33.9% of the children was living in poverty in Lee County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.3%.

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.

Health

90.6% of the population of Lee County, VA has health coverage, with 26.3% on employee plans, 30.7% on Medicaid, 19.8% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 2.39% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lee County, VA see 3320 patients per year on average, which represents a 15% decrease from the previous year (3904 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4397 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 709 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

3,320 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lee County, VA

Primary care physicians in Lee County, VA see an average of 3,320 patients per year. This represents a 15% decrease from the previous year (3,904 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.3% under 18 years, 16.9% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.8% 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

9.36%

Uninsured

26.3%

Employer Coverage

30.7%

Medicaid

19.8%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

2.39%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lee County, VA declined by 13.1% from 10.8% to 9.36%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was N/A in Lee County, VA.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 39.2% in Lee County, VA.

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