Lee County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Lee County, Georgia has a population of 33,626 across 356 square miles, up 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.10 bn in 2024, 440 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 23 7(a) approvals worth $11.7 m.
124 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Lee County
How many people live in Lee County
- Population33,626
- Households12,287
- Average household size2.74
- Median household income$89,168
- Median age37.7
- Median gross rent$1,184 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$231,800
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over22,130
- Population under 188,606
- Share under 1825.6 percent
- Population 65 and over4,657
- Share 65 and over13.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6420,363
- Civilian labor force17,300
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.1 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties57th of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1380th
Lee County is the 57th largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.6 percent against 13.8 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 base2.76 percent
- Census 2020 base population33,159
- Births, 2024299
- Deaths, 2024286
- Natural change, 202413
- Net domestic migration, 202443
- Net international migration, 202489
- Total net migration, 2024132
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024620
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents933rd
The county has grown 2.76 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 arriving1,171
- People arriving, from those returns2,343
- Adjusted gross income arriving$79.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$67,716
- Largest single originLee County Non-migrants (10,996 households)
- Largest single destination (10,996 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County Non-migrants | 10,996 | 24,524 | $880.9 m |
| Dougherty County | 457 | 913 | $23.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 335 | 677 | $34.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 279 | 545 | $15.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 226 | 457 | $26.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 52 | 114 | $3.4 m |
| Terrell County | 37 | 91 | $2.7 m |
| Sumter County | 33 | 62 | $2.1 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$1.10 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.05 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years42.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Georgia counties78th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1762nd
- GDP per resident$32,687
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 42.5 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 average7,353
- Establishments reporting612
- Average annual pay$48,163
- Average weekly wage$926
- Sector 56, employment994
- Sector 56, average annual pay$43,786
- Sector 44-45, employment991
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,272
- Sector 23, employment910
- Sector 23, average annual pay$57,799
- Sector 72, employment495
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,770
- Sector 42, employment450
- Sector 31-33, employment428
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 56 | 994 | 57 | $43,786 |
| Sector 44-45 | 991 | 82 | $39,272 |
| Sector 23 | 910 | 73 | $57,799 |
| Sector 72 | 495 | 33 | $17,770 |
| Sector 42 | 450 | 30 | $70,926 |
| Sector 31-33 | 428 | 18 | $52,059 |
| Sector 81 | 174 | 39 | $48,839 |
| Sector 52 | 140 | 29 | $88,165 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 994 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 industries440
- Employment at those establishments4,476
- Annual payroll$198.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.1
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, 2024133
- Declared construction value permitted$15.7 m
- Single family units authorised130
- Multifamily units authorised3
- Multifamily share of units2.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$118,036
- Units authorised per 1,000 households10.8
Multifamily is 2.3 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 recorded23
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$11.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$507,465
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$962,300
- Largest single approval$2,810,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)237
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals17
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer34.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter15
- Franchise loans7
- Franchise share of approvals30.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countVeterinary Services (2)
- Most active lenderFirst Port City Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 504 approval$772,000
- Median 504 approval$667,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval12.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.4
- Most active CDCFlorida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals88.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$14.0 m
The average approval of $507,465 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. 34.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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 recorded2
- Paid in full1
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure18
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
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 lending3
- Leesburg, approvals19
- Albany, approvals3
- Smithville, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Leesburg | 19 | $9,809,700 |
| Albany | 3 | $1,812,000 |
| Smithville | 1 | $50,000 |
Leesburg accounts for 19 approvals against 3 in Albany. 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 area356 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties73rd of 159
- Width, east to west24.4 mi
- Height, north to south20.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land94
- Establishments per square mile1.24
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.
Lee County
What hazards affect Lee County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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.
- Population33,626
- Households12,287
- Average household size2.74
- Median household income$89,168
- Median age37.7
Common questions
Lee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lee County, Georgia?
33,626, in 12,287 households, ranking 57th of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lee County growing?
The population has grown 2.76 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 299 births against 286 deaths, with net migration of 132. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lee County?
$89,168. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $231,800, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,184 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lee County?
440 establishments, employing 4,476 people with an annual payroll of $198.7 m. 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 $48,163, or $926 a week, across 7,353 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?
23 7(a) approvals totalling $11.7 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $2.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Lee County?
133 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $15.7 m. Multifamily was 2.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lee County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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 10,996 households. Arriving households report an average income of $67,716 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.