Population 65,816 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Lee County
Household size in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.63 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.75 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.63 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lee County average 2.63 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in North Carolina overall, where it has 2.52 people. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
At 39.3, the median age in Lee County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.8, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Lee County: 16.2% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Few North Carolina counties have a higher share of single-parent households: only seven of 100.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Lee County
Renters in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.6% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.7% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Lee County rent their homes (32.7%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Just over four in ten owners (41.9%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northwest. The renter share has risen 3.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Lee County as nationally: 8.6%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in North Carolina overall (11.4%). Vacancy is down 3.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Lee County is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $641 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $765 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $823 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,065 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$424 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Lee County runs $1,065 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $424 a month since 2006–10, up 66%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Lee County
Bachelor's degrees in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Lee County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.7 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.9% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Lee County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 4.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Lee County
| Period | Lee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Lee County than nationally: unemployment was 3.8%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 6.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Lee County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 2.63 | 39.3 | 16.2% | 32.7% | 8.6% | 1987 | $1,065 | 20.3% | 85.3% | 3.8% |
| Harnett County | 2.79 | 37.0 | 10.9% | 29.0% | 9.3% | 1996 | $1,190 | 25.2% | 88.9% | 5.1% |
| Montgomery County | 2.41 | 44.4 | 12.4% | 25.0% | 24.2% | 1983 | $789 | 19.3% | 85.0% | 3.3% |
| Johnston County | 2.79 | 38.0 | 10.4% | 23.9% | 6.9% | 2000 | $1,394 | 29.8% | 91.1% | 3.7% |
| Stanly County | 2.53 | 41.3 | 11.4% | 25.5% | 11.0% | 1976 | $898 | 19.4% | 88.0% | 4.4% |
| Wayne County | 2.48 | 38.7 | 15.4% | 38.5% | 11.3% | 1985 | $1,066 | 22.3% | 86.1% | 6.0% |
| Cabarrus County | 2.85 | 38.2 | 11.3% | 28.8% | 10.6% | 1993 | $1,628 | 38.9% | 92.0% | 4.6% |
| Greene County | 2.67 | 40.8 | 15.4% | 33.5% | 14.4% | 1986 | $823 | 12.1% | 78.9% | 5.0% |
| Pitt County | 2.38 | 36.3 | 14.6% | 48.6% | 9.9% | 1992 | $1,091 | 34.7% | 91.5% | 8.1% |
| Lincoln County | 2.56 | 44.8 | 10.2% | 21.1% | 7.4% | 1993 | $1,145 | 29.3% | 90.0% | 3.6% |
| Beaufort County | 2.28 | 47.1 | 11.9% | 30.5% | 17.7% | 1980 | $928 | 20.5% | 88.6% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Isabella County, MI · Starr County, TX · Stanly County, NC · St. Joseph County, MI · Seneca County, OH · Scott County, KY · Sandusky County, OH · San Benito County, CA · Sampson County, NC · Lenoir County, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Lee County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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