Lee County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Lee County, Illinois has a population of 33,869 across 725 square miles, down 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.17 bn in 2024, 690 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 16 7(a) approvals worth $7.6 m.
124 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Lee County
How many people live in Lee County
- Population33,869
- Households13,337
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$70,292
- Median age43.1
- Median gross rent$894 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$154,600
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over24,965
- Population under 186,655
- Share under 1819.6 percent
- Population 65 and over7,227
- Share 65 and over21.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6419,987
- Civilian labor force15,690
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.7 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties42nd of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1369th
Lee County is the 42nd largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.3 percent against 19.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
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 base-1.78 percent
- Census 2020 base population34,151
- Births, 2024278
- Deaths, 2024407
- Natural change, 2024-129
- Net domestic migration, 20240
- Net international migration, 202466
- Total net migration, 202466
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-181
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2442nd
The county has lost 1.78 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
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 arriving870
- People arriving, from those returns1,499
- Adjusted gross income arriving$46.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,018
- Largest single originLee County Non-migrants (13,043 households)
- Largest single destination (13,043 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County Non-migrants | 13,043 | 25,484 | $979.8 m |
| Whiteside County | 174 | 305 | $8.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 172 | 291 | $8.9 m |
| Ogle County | 160 | 294 | $8.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 96 | 159 | $5.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 72 | 107 | $3.8 m |
| DeKalb County | 63 | 104 | $3.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 55 | 99 | $2.6 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$2.17 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.08 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years34.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Illinois counties34th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1211th
- GDP per resident$64,169
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 34.4 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 average12,375
- Establishments reporting692
- Average annual pay$58,453
- Average weekly wage$1,124
- Sector 31-33, employment3,063
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$72,377
- Sector 44-45, employment1,248
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,036
- Sector 72, employment837
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,186
- Sector 42, employment688
- Sector 42, average annual pay$64,924
- Sector 81, employment470
- Sector 52, employment226
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,063 | 32 | $72,377 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,248 | 92 | $39,036 |
| Sector 72 | 837 | 72 | $20,186 |
| Sector 42 | 688 | 31 | $64,924 |
| Sector 81 | 470 | 66 | $32,836 |
| Sector 52 | 226 | 36 | $61,801 |
| Sector 23 | 206 | 75 | $54,449 |
| Sector 56 | 191 | 23 | $50,984 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,063 jobs, 24.8 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 industries690
- Employment at those establishments10,894
- Annual payroll$574.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.4
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, 202443
- Declared construction value permitted$9.6 m
- Single family units authorised27
- Multifamily units authorised16
- Multifamily share of units37.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$222,531
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.2
Multifamily is 37.2 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 recorded16
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$476,431
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$32,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,137,500
- Largest single approval$1,445,700
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)157
- Jobs per approval9.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer18.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter12
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals6.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (3)
- Most active lenderMidland States Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$12.4 m
- Average 504 approval$1,242,600
- Median 504 approval$1,008,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval22.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.3
- Most active CDCRockford Local Development Corporation (8)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals61.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$20.0 m
The average approval of $476,431 sits close to the median of $350,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 18.8 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 recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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 lending4
- DIXON, approvals8
- Amboy, approvals5
- MENDOTA, approvals2
- Rochelle, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| DIXON | 8 | $3,651,400 |
| Amboy | 5 | $2,245,500 |
| MENDOTA | 2 | $600,000 |
| Rochelle | 1 | $1,126,000 |
DIXON accounts for 8 approvals against 5 in Amboy. 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 area725 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties19th of 102
- Width, east to west35.8 mi
- Height, north to south21.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land47
- Establishments per square mile0.95
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 greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 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.
- Population33,869
- Households13,337
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$70,292
- Median age43.1
Common questions
Lee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lee County, Illinois?
33,869, in 13,337 households, ranking 42nd of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lee County growing?
The population has fallen 1.78 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 278 births against 407 deaths, with net migration of 66. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lee County?
$70,292. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $154,600, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $894 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lee County?
690 establishments, employing 10,894 people with an annual payroll of $574.8 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 $58,453, or $1,124 a week, across 12,375 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?
16 7(a) approvals totalling $7.6 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $12.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Lee County?
43 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.6 m. Multifamily was 37.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lee County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 13,043 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,018 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.