Lee County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Lee County, Alabama has a population of 181,134 across 608 square miles, up 7.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $9.27 bn in 2024, 3,377 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 110 7(a) approvals worth $71.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lee County
How many people live in Lee County
- Population181,134
- Households69,436
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$65,824
- Median age34.0
- Median gross rent$1,058 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$262,200
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher42.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over112,781
- Population under 1837,937
- Share under 1820.9 percent
- Population 65 and over24,021
- Share 65 and over13.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64119,176
- Civilian labor force88,396
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.7 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties8th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents380th
Lee County is the 8th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.9 percent against 13.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lee County
Is Lee County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.75 percent
- Census 2020 base population174,341
- Births, 20241,833
- Deaths, 20241,376
- Natural change, 2024457
- Net domestic migration, 20241,506
- Net international migration, 20241,597
- Total net migration, 20243,103
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20247,139
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents257th
The county has grown 7.75 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lee County
Where people moving to Lee County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,354
- People arriving, from those returns10,015
- Adjusted gross income arriving$379.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$70,793
- Largest single originLee County Non-migrants (52,549 households)
- Largest single destination (52,549 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County Non-migrants | 52,549 | 110,887 | $4.52 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,007 | 3,736 | $149.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,266 | 2,381 | $93.1 m |
| Russell County | 576 | 1,171 | $30.2 m |
| Muscogee County | 408 | 779 | $22.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 306 | 597 | $22.3 m |
| Chambers County | 296 | 604 | $14.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 270 | 486 | $17.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lee County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lee County
What the Lee County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$9.27 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.86 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years39.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents468th
- GDP per resident$51,205
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 39.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lee County
Who employs people in Lee County
- Covered employment, annual average66,643
- Establishments reporting4,362
- Average annual pay$53,394
- Average weekly wage$1,027
- Sector 72, employment8,966
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,545
- Sector 44-45, employment8,018
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,451
- Sector 31-33, employment7,100
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$64,703
- Sector 56, employment4,844
- Sector 56, average annual pay$31,448
- Sector 62, employment4,669
- Sector 23, employment3,261
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 8,966 | 462 | $22,545 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,018 | 544 | $35,451 |
| Sector 31-33 | 7,100 | 202 | $64,703 |
| Sector 56 | 4,844 | 283 | $31,448 |
| Sector 62 | 4,669 | 447 | $48,517 |
| Sector 23 | 3,261 | 368 | $69,651 |
| Sector 48-49 | 3,144 | 121 | $55,205 |
| Sector 54 | 2,172 | 521 | $65,138 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 8,966 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lee County
What businesses operate in Lee County
- Establishments, all industries3,377
- Employment at those establishments51,454
- Annual payroll$2.37 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lee County
What is being built in Lee County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,877
- Declared construction value permitted$435.0 m
- Single family units authorised1,716
- Multifamily units authorised161
- Multifamily share of units8.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$231,771
- Units authorised per 1,000 households27.0
Multifamily is 8.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lee County
How much SBA lending happens in Lee County
- 7(a) approvals recorded110
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$71.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$652,667
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,230,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,066
- Jobs per approval9.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active38
- Distinct industries receiving approvals69
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms21
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter82
- Franchise loans12
- Franchise share of approvals10.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (8)
- Most active lenderNortheast Bank (14)
- 504 approvals recorded69
- 504 gross approval dollars$53.1 m
- Average 504 approval$769,145
- Median 504 approval$583,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval12.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.9
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (35)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals61.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$124.9 m
The average approval of $652,667 sits well above the median of $200,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 19.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lee County
Do SBA loans in Lee County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded17
- Paid in full13
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans23.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Exempt from disclosure65
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Cancelled20
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Of the 17 loans that have reached a final outcome, 23.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lee County
Which parts of Lee County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- OPELIKA, approvals55
- AUBURN, approvals44
- PHENIX CITY, approvals6
- Smiths Station, approvals2
- SALEM, approvals1
- VALLEY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| OPELIKA | 55 | $28,551,300 |
| AUBURN | 44 | $31,484,700 |
| PHENIX CITY | 6 | $4,637,200 |
| Smiths Station | 2 | $1,360,800 |
| SALEM | 1 | $5,000,000 |
| VALLEY | 1 | $376,000 |
| WAVERLY | 1 | $383,400 |
OPELIKA accounts for 55 approvals against 44 in AUBURN. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lee County
How big is Lee County
- Land area608 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties50th of 67
- Width, east to west40.6 mi
- Height, north to south23.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land298
- Establishments per square mile5.55
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Lee County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lee County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population181,134
- Households69,436
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$65,824
- Median age34.0
Common questions
Lee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lee County, Alabama?
181,134, in 69,436 households, ranking 8th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lee County growing?
The population has grown 7.75 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,833 births against 1,376 deaths, with net migration of 3,103. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lee County?
$65,824. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $262,200, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,058 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lee County?
3,377 establishments, employing 51,454 people with an annual payroll of $2.37 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Lee County?
Average annual pay is $53,394, or $1,027 a week, across 66,643 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lee County?
110 7(a) approvals totalling $71.8 m since FY2020, across 38 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 69 504 approvals worth $53.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lee County get paid back?
Of the 17 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 23.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Lee County?
1,877 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $435.0 m. Multifamily was 8.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lee County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lee County come from?
The largest single origin is Lee County Non-migrants, with 52,549 households. Arriving households report an average income of $70,793 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lee County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lee County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.