Lee County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17103 Republican

Located in Illinois, Lee County has a population of 33,869 residents and a median age of 43.1 years, making it the #1,369 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.8%. The median home value is $154,600, and the median household income is $70,292, which is 6% below the national median.

33,869
Population
#1,369 of 3,222
$70,292
Median Income
-6.5% #1,179 of 3,222
43.1 years
Median Age
+10.8% #1,178 of 3,222
11.8%
Poverty Rate
-6.2% #1,234 of 3,222

Demographics

Lee County has a population of 33,869, making it the #1,369 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.1 years, which is 10.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.8%
Native Born
2.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lee County is $70,292, ranking #1,179 out of 3,222 counties — 6.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.8% and unemployment stands at 5.2%.

Income#1,179
$70,292
-6.5%
vs nation
63th percentile
Per Capita#1,430
$35,945
-12.9%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poverty#1,234
11.8%
-6.2%
vs nation
62th percentile
Unemployment#2,138
5.2%
-1.8%
vs nation
34th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lee County is $154,600 (-45.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $894/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.6%.

Home Value#2,161
$154,600
-45.2%
vs nation
33th percentile
Rent#1,473
$894
-23.1%
vs nation
54th percentile
Homeownership#1,771
73.6%
+14.3%
vs nation
45th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lee County, 19.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 42.5% below the national average, ranking #2,112 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.4% −42.5% vs nation
Rank #2,112 of 3,222
34th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lee County is 77.4 years. 18.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#801
77.4
+3.0%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,518
18.7%
-4.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Diabetes#1,561
10.8%
-3.0%
vs nation
50th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,994
38.9%
+4.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,031
5.4
-4.5%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,385
4.3
-2.9%
vs nation
56th percentile
Uninsured Rate#308
5.6%
-46.9%
vs nation
90th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,122
24.2%
-8.3%
vs nation
64th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,248
13.3%
-7.7%
vs nation
60th percentile

Substance Use

18.5% of adults in Lee County smoke , 37.5% are obese , and 21.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 13.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,823
18.5%
+3.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,280
37.5%
-1.1%
vs nation
59th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,269
21.7%
+9.1%
vs nation
28th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#184
13.8
-57.4%
vs nation
91th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 18.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,368
18.7
-5.2%
vs nation
47th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#224
8.2
-53.9%
vs nation
91th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#800
13.8
-31.7%
vs nation
72th percentile

Families & Children

13.9% of children in Lee County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 11.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#577
11.6
-46.8%
vs nation
81th percentile
Child Poverty#920
13.9%
-26.8%
vs nation
71th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lee County is 60.6%. The mean commute time is 26.3 min, which is 4.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
60.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.3 min −4.5% vs nation
Rank #1,619 of 3,222
50th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lee County voted Republican with a margin of 22.3%. The vote was 37.9% Dem / 60.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +22.3%
37.9% 60.2%
Dem 16,091 votes Rep
2020 REP +19.6%
39% 58.6%
Dem 16,440 votes Rep
2016 REP +20.4%
36.1% 56.5%
Dem 15,215 votes Rep
2012 REP +7.3%
45.4% 52.7%
Dem 15,275 votes Rep
2008 REP +3.0%
47.6% 50.6%
Dem 16,318 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lee County, Illinois

Lee County, Illinois has a total population of 33,869, making it the 1,369th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lee County is 43.1 years, which is 10.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lee County is $70,292, which ranks #1,179 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.2%.

The median home value in Lee County is $154,600, 45.2% below the national median. Renters in Lee County pay a median gross rent of $894 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lee County, 19.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 42.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.3 min.

Lee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.6%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (5.3%).

All data for Lee County, Illinois 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.