Lee County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Lee County, Kentucky has a population of 7,339 across 209 square miles, down 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $160.5 m in 2024, 90 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $75,000.
94 sourced county values · tier FULL · 9 sections
Lee County
How many people live in Lee County
- Population7,339
- Households2,595
- Average household size2.83
- Median household income$37,568
- Median age43.6
- Median gross rent$603 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$83,900
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher9.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,493
- Population under 181,330
- Share under 1818.1 percent
- Population 65 and over1,435
- Share 65 and over19.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,574
- Civilian labor force2,523
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over42.0 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties111th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2712th
Lee County is the 111th largest of 120 Kentucky 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 19.6 percent against 18.1 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-0.99 percent
- Census 2020 base population7,386
- Births, 202469
- Deaths, 2024112
- Natural change, 2024-43
- Net domestic migration, 202453
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 202453
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024196
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2184th
The county has lost 0.99 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 arriving130
- People arriving, from those returns247
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$33,169
- Largest single originLee County Non-migrants (1,789 households)
- Largest single destination (1,789 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County Non-migrants | 1,789 | 3,867 | $79.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 109 | 207 | $3.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 21 | 40 | $1.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 21 | 40 | $1.3 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$160.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$159.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.7 percent
- GDP change over five years24.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties114th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2959th
- GDP per resident$21,872
Output grew 0.7 percent in the latest year and 24.9 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 average1,706
- Establishments reporting163
- Average annual pay$43,886
- Average weekly wage$844
- Sector 62, employment348
- Sector 62, average annual pay$49,934
- Sector 72, employment266
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,824
- Sector 56, employment226
- Sector 56, average annual pay$54,466
- Sector 44-45, employment165
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,604
- Sector 23, employment28
- Sector 48-49, employment24
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 348 | 27 | $49,934 |
| Sector 72 | 266 | 14 | $29,824 |
| Sector 56 | 226 | 6 | $54,466 |
| Sector 44-45 | 165 | 25 | $30,604 |
| Sector 23 | 28 | 5 | $61,284 |
| Sector 48-49 | 24 | 6 | $37,309 |
| Sector 52 | 17 | 4 | $56,997 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 348 jobs, 20.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lee County
What businesses operate in Lee County
- Establishments, all industries90
- Employment at those establishments1,387
- Annual payroll$54.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents12.3
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
How much SBA lending happens in Lee County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$75,000
- Average 7(a) approval$75,000
- Median 7(a) approval$75,000
- 10th percentile approval$75,000
- 90th percentile approval$75,000
- Largest single approval$75,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)14
- Jobs per approval14.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOffices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (1)
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (1)
The average approval of $75,000 sits close to the median of $75,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Lee County
Do SBA loans in Lee County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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
How big is Lee County
- Land area209 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties96th of 120
- Width, east to west21 mi
- Height, north to south16.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land35
- Establishments per square mile0.43
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- The Building Permits Survey does not carry a 2024 record for this county.
- 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.
- Population7,339
- Households2,595
- Average household size2.83
- Median household income$37,568
- Median age43.6
Common questions
Lee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lee County, Kentucky?
7,339, in 2,595 households, ranking 111th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lee County growing?
The population has fallen 0.99 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 69 births against 112 deaths, with net migration of 53. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lee County?
$37,568. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $83,900, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $603 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lee County?
90 establishments, employing 1,387 people with an annual payroll of $54.3 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 $43,886, or $844 a week, across 1,706 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?
1 7(a) approvals totalling $75,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $75,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
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 1,789 households. Arriving households report an average income of $33,169 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.