Lee County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19111 Republican

Located in Iowa, Lee County has a population of 32,893 residents and a median age of 43.6 years, making it the #1,401 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.1%. The median home value is $141,400, and the median household income is $62,382, which is 17% below the national median.

32,893
Population
#1,401 of 3,222
$62,382
Median Income
-17.0% #1,858 of 3,222
43.6 years
Median Age
+12.1% #1,033 of 3,222
13.1%
Poverty Rate
+3.9% #1,550 of 3,222

Demographics

Lee County has a population of 32,893, making it the #1,401 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.6 years, which is 12.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lee County is $62,382, ranking #1,858 out of 3,222 counties — 17.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.1% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.

Income#1,858
$62,382
-17.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Per Capita#1,593
$34,999
-15.2%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poverty#1,550
13.1%
+3.9%
vs nation
52th percentile
Unemployment#1,630
4.4%
-16.1%
vs nation
49th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lee County is $141,400 (-49.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $835/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.3%.

Home Value#2,372
$141,400
-49.8%
vs nation
26th percentile
Rent#1,855
$835
-28.2%
vs nation
42th percentile
Homeownership#1,294
76.3%
+18.5%
vs nation
60th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lee County, 21.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 35.6% below the national average, ranking #1,701 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.7% −35.6% vs nation
Rank #1,701 of 3,222
47th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lee County is 74.8 years. 17.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,678
74.8
-0.4%
vs nation
45th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,261
17.7%
-9.5%
vs nation
60th percentile
Diabetes#1,409
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,296
36.5%
-2.2%
vs nation
59th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#713
5.2
-7.8%
vs nation
77th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#684
3.9
-12.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Uninsured Rate#131
4.8%
-54.5%
vs nation
96th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,100
28.5%
+8.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,085
12.8%
-11.1%
vs nation
66th percentile

Substance Use

17.8% of adults in Lee County smoke , 40.9% are obese , and 23.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 15.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,590
17.8%
-0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,326
40.9%
+7.9%
vs nation
26th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,766
23.5%
+18.4%
vs nation
12th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#247
15.1
-53.4%
vs nation
88th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Lee County is 4.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 31.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#481
4.2
-47.1%
vs nation
69th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,374
31.7
+60.7%
vs nation
7th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,507
18.5
+3.7%
vs nation
39th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,330
17.8
-12.2%
vs nation
53th percentile

Families & Children

18.5% of children in Lee County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 23.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,027
8.0
+17.7%
vs nation
25th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,824
23.7
+8.4%
vs nation
39th percentile
Child Poverty#1,673
18.5%
-2.6%
vs nation
47th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lee County is 63.3%. The mean commute time is 22.2 min, which is 19.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.2 min −19.6% vs nation
Rank #2,501 of 3,222
22th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lee County voted Republican with a margin of 27.8%. The vote was 35% Dem / 62.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +27.8%
35% 62.8%
Dem 16,154 votes Rep
2020 REP +19.3%
39.1% 58.4%
Dem 16,734 votes Rep
2016 REP +16.1%
39% 55.1%
Dem 15,893 votes Rep
2012 DEM +16.0%
57.2% 41.2%
Dem 16,488 votes Rep
2008 DEM +16.0%
57% 41%
Dem 17,224 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lee County, Iowa

Lee County, Iowa has a total population of 32,893, making it the 1,401st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lee County is 43.6 years, which is 12.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lee County is $62,382, which ranks #1,858 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.

The median home value in Lee County is $141,400, 49.8% below the national median. Renters in Lee County pay a median gross rent of $835 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lee County, 21.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.2 min.

Lee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).

All data for Lee County, Iowa comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.