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Lee County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Lee County, North Carolina has a population of 65,816 across 255 square miles, up 8.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.26 bn in 2024, 1,460 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 52 7(a) approvals worth $41.5 m.
124 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Lee County
How many people live in Lee County
- Population65,816
- Households25,145
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$65,387
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$1,017 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$240,200
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over44,766
- Population under 1815,587
- Share under 1823.7 percent
- Population 65 and over11,283
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,946
- Civilian labor force31,422
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.6 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties41st of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents834th
Lee County is the 41st largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.7 percent against 17.1 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 base8.30 percent
- Census 2020 base population63,286
- Births, 2024799
- Deaths, 2024705
- Natural change, 202494
- Net domestic migration, 2024494
- Net international migration, 2024522
- Total net migration, 20241,016
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243,596
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents222nd
The county has grown 8.30 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 arriving2,535
- People arriving, from those returns4,688
- Adjusted gross income arriving$206.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$81,452
- Largest single originLee County Non-migrants (22,073 households)
- Largest single destination (22,073 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County Non-migrants | 22,073 | 45,444 | $1.65 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 961 | 1,777 | $120.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 428 | 786 | $65.7 m |
| Wake County | 412 | 696 | $26.7 m |
| Harnett County | 330 | 703 | $14.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 258 | 472 | $14.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 208 | 406 | $28.5 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 199 | 355 | $17.4 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$4.26 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.77 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202413.2 percent
- GDP change over five years46.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties33rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents777th
- GDP per resident$64,746
Output grew 13.2 percent in the latest year and 46.6 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 average27,674
- Establishments reporting1,866
- Average annual pay$58,075
- Average weekly wage$1,117
- Sector 31-33, employment8,498
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$77,252
- Sector 44-45, employment3,246
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,615
- Sector 62, employment2,594
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,867
- Sector 72, employment2,364
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,911
- Sector 56, employment1,588
- Sector 23, employment1,388
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 8,498 | 81 | $77,252 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,246 | 267 | $37,615 |
| Sector 62 | 2,594 | 198 | $50,867 |
| Sector 72 | 2,364 | 143 | $20,911 |
| Sector 56 | 1,588 | 132 | $53,247 |
| Sector 23 | 1,388 | 211 | $58,715 |
| Sector 42 | 1,274 | 90 | $67,528 |
| Sector 54 | 857 | 193 | $79,448 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 8,498 jobs, 30.7 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 industries1,460
- Employment at those establishments25,852
- Annual payroll$1.38 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.2
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, 2024602
- Declared construction value permitted$124.8 m
- Single family units authorised602
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$207,233
- Units authorised per 1,000 households23.9
Multifamily is 0.0 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 recorded52
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$41.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$798,306
- Median 7(a) approval$450,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,904,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)484
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active27
- Distinct industries receiving approvals38
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter32
- Franchise loans9
- Franchise share of approvals17.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPharmacies and Drug Retailers (3)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (8)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.8 m
- Average 504 approval$725,500
- Median 504 approval$573,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval9.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.3
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (7)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals86.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$47.3 m
The average approval of $798,306 sits well above the median of $450,000, 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 21.2 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 recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure35
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed5
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 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
- Sanford, approvals47
- BROADWAY, approvals3
- CHAPEL HILL, approvals1
- CARY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Sanford | 47 | $37,309,900 |
| BROADWAY | 3 | $3,589,000 |
| CHAPEL HILL | 1 | $150,000 |
| CARY | 1 | $463,000 |
Sanford accounts for 47 approvals against 3 in BROADWAY. 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 area255 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties89th of 100
- Width, east to west21.4 mi
- Height, north to south22.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land258
- Establishments per square mile5.73
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.
- Population65,816
- Households25,145
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$65,387
- Median age39.5
Common questions
Lee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lee County, North Carolina?
65,816, in 25,145 households, ranking 41st of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lee County growing?
The population has grown 8.30 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 799 births against 705 deaths, with net migration of 1,016. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lee County?
$65,387. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $240,200, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,017 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lee County?
1,460 establishments, employing 25,852 people with an annual payroll of $1.38 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 $58,075, or $1,117 a week, across 27,674 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?
52 7(a) approvals totalling $41.5 m since FY2020, across 27 lenders, with a median approval of $450,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $5.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Lee County?
602 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $124.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 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 22,073 households. Arriving households report an average income of $81,452 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.