Population 5,425 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Lee
Household size in Lee
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.21 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.31 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.94 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.28 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lee are small: just 1.94 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.21, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Massachusetts city with 5,000+ people has smaller households.
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
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.4 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.5 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.2 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.8 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 53.2, Lee is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 44.4, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only 11 are older.
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
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Lee than nationally: 9.4%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Compared with other Massachusetts cities, though, Lee has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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
Renters in Lee
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.9% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Lee rent their homes (28.9%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 32.6% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.8% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Lee than nationally: 12.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.6 points, mirroring the country.
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
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
Lee is a place of older homes: half were built before 1959, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Massachusetts as a whole looks much the same.
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
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $780 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $828 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $967 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,784 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,004 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Lee costs $1,784 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,004 a month from 2006–10, a 129% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 32.3% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Lee
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.0% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 40.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.7% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 43.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.0 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Lee (43.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in Massachusetts as a whole (47.2%). The share with a degree has risen 15.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.0% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.9% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.3% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Lee: 98.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 5.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 21 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of high school graduates.
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
| Period | Lee | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lee runs below the national rate: 4.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 6.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee | 1.94 | 53.2 | 9.4% | 28.9% | 12.7% | 1959 | $1,784 | 43.9% | 98.3% | 4.2% |
| Lenox Dale | 2.28 | 54.7 | 5.6% | 15.8% | 20.6% | 1972 | $1,259 | 47.3% | 99.1% | 0.6% |
| South Lee | 2.50 | 57.4 | 10.0% | 17.8% | 35.4% | 1964 | $1,284 | 51.8% | 98.2% | 10.1% |
| Stockbridge | 2.28 | 62.2 | 4.5% | 20.9% | 36.0% | 1953 | $1,445 | 58.5% | 93.5% | 7.6% |
| Lenox | 2.07 | 58.0 | 10.8% | 29.5% | 18.4% | 1964 | $1,196 | 52.0% | 97.1% | 5.2% |
| Tyringham | 2.38 | 59.2 | 2.1% | 10.1% | 44.5% | 1980 | $1,160 | 64.8% | 96.0% | 4.1% |
| New Lenox | 2.66 | 49.5 | 7.6% | 8.7% | 20.4% | 1972 | $1,091 | 55.3% | 100.0% | 41.9% |
| West Stockbridge | 2.18 | 57.9 | 4.2% | 11.3% | 42.1% | 1971 | $1,913 | 72.2% | 97.1% | 3.6% |
| Housatonic | 2.34 | 55.5 | 9.0% | 19.3% | 18.9% | 1959 | $1,441 | 55.9% | 98.0% | 2.1% |
| Richmond | 2.16 | 62.1 | 3.6% | 8.7% | 26.3% | 1972 | $1,427 | 63.3% | 97.9% | 4.0% |
| Washington | 2.08 | 55.3 | 3.7% | 8.9% | 21.6% | 1975 | $1,920 | 31.1% | 95.0% | 0.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Mills, WY · Frackville, PA · Waban, MA · Voorheesville, NY · Vinton, LA · Vinton, IA · Villa Park, CA · Vidalia, LA · Freeburg, IL · Victor, ID
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. 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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