Lee County, Mississippi

County in MS, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

83,034

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

37.5

years ∙ half population younger than 37.5, half older

Diversity Index

51.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.4%

foreign-born population

97.6%Native

2.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Lee County is a county in Mississippi, United States.

Location

County in MS, US

Co-ordinates

DEC34.292370° N, 88.682439° W

DMS34° 17′ 32.53″ N, 88° 40′ 56.78″ W

Population Density & area

184.5/sq mi (71.25/km²)

Total Area

453.2 sq mi (1,173.7 km²)

Land Area

450 sq mi (1,165.4 km²) · 99.29%

Water Area

3.2 sq mi (8.3 km²) · 0.71%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

47.6% male

Male 47.6%

Female 52.4%

males per 100 females

Lee County 91

Mississippi 94.2

United States 98

Nativity

2.4%

foreign-born population

97.6%Native

2.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Lee County 2.4%

Mississippi 2.4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

37.5

years ∙ half population younger than 37.5, half older

Lee County

37.5

Mississippi

38.6

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

68.9

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Lee County 68.9

Mississippi 68

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	25%	23.3%	22%
Working age (18-64)	59.2%	59.5%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	15.8%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	68.9	68	64.4
Child dependency ratio	42.2	39.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	26.7	28.8	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

62.5%

Black

29.9%

Asian

Hispanic

3.5%

Other

3.1%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

51.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Lee County 51.8%

Mississippi 56.1%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Lee County population

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Hispanic or Latino	3.5%	3.7%	19.3%
Mexican	2.9%	2%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.5%	1.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	96.5%	96.3%	80.7%
One race	94.1%	93.3%	76.4%
White	62.5%	55.2%	57.4%
Black or African American	29.9%	36.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.4%	0.5%
Asian	1%	1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.3%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.4%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.4%	3%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

67.9% family

Family 67.9%

Non family 32.1%

% family households

Lee County 67.9%

Mississippi 65.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.51

persons per household

Lee County

2.51

Mississippi

2.49

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Lee County population

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Total households	32,591	1,145,431	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.51	2.49	2.53
Family households	22,139	747,604	82,990,528
Average family size	3.1	3.12	3.14
Married couple family	15,872	498,140	60,637,388
Other families	6,267	249,464	22,353,140
Male householder	1,566	54,654	6,572,819
Female householder	4,701	194,810	15,780,321
Non-family households	10,452	397,827	46,236,968
One-person households	9,344	346,124	37,140,836
Male householder	3,664	158,618	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	864	50,989	5,225,110
Female householder	5,680	187,506	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	2,660	95,927	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	1,108	51,703	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

37,654

housing units

Lee County 37,654

Mississippi 1,341,114

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

86.6% occupied

Occupied 86.6%

Vacant 13.4%

vacancy rate

Lee County 13.4%

Mississippi 14.6%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

73.3%

Single family houses

73.3%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

15.8%

Mobile homes

10.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1988

Half of houses were built before 1988, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

3.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

18.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

47.9%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

29.9%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.9	5.7	5.5
1–3 rooms	11.7%	9.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	50.8%	56.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	37.5%	34%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	5.9%	1.6%	2.9%
1 bedroom	5.3%	6.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	19.5%	20.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	50.9%	51.6%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	18.4%	19.9%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1988	1987	1981
Total housing units	37,654	1,341,114	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

70.8% owners

Renter-occupied 29.2%

Owner-occupied 70.8%

homeownership rate

Lee County 70.8%

Mississippi 70%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.64

Owner-occupied

2.22

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Lee County 2.64

Mississippi 2.55

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Total occupied units	32,591	1,145,431	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	22.3%	21.6%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	40.8%	37.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	15.7%	17.6%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	21.2%	22.9%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.5%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1.3%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6%	6.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	30.7%	32.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	38.7%	36.1%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	24.5%	25.4%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	47.5%	39.2%	51.4%
Electricity	51.6%	58.9%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.3%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	0.2%	1%	2%
No fuel used	0.4%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.2%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.7%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.4%	1.2%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$199,500

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Lee County

$199,500

Mississippi

$169,800

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

17.7%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

17.7%

Owners without a mortgage

12.2%

Renters

54.4%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Property value
Median Value	$199,500	$169,800	$332,700
Under $100,000	17.6%	29.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	32.6%	27.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	28.1%	20.3%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	16.4%	16.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	5%	4.6%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.3%	0.9%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	60.1%	49.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	39.9%	50.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,335	$1,394	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$438	$432	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$957	$954	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

28.6%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Lee County 28.6%

Mississippi 25.1%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

12.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Lee County 12.4%

Mississippi 12.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

20,698

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.2%

K–12

72.8%

College / Undergraduate

15.4%

Graduate / Professional

4.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

34.2%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Lee County

34.2%

Mississippi

39.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	20,698	726,919	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	7.2%	5.9%	5.7%
K–12	72.8%	69.3%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.5%	5%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.3%	20.8%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	22.6%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	22.3%	21.8%	21.7%
College or graduate school	20%	24.8%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	15.4%	19.9%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.5%	4.9%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	34.2%	39.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	88.4%	83.5%	82%
Private school	11.6%	16.5%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

55,433

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

4.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

8.3%

HS graduate

28.4%

Some college no degree

20.5%

Associates degree

10.1%

Bachelors degree

17.9%

Graduate or professional degree

10.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

42.4% · 57.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

54.8% · 45.2%

HS graduate

51.5% · 48.5%

Some college no degree

43% · 57%

Associates degree

42.4% · 57.6%

Bachelors degree

44% · 56%

Graduate or professional degree

39.7% · 60.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Population (25+)	55,433	1,972,266	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	4.1%	4.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	8.3%	8.5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	28.4%	29.9%	26%
Some college, no degree	20.5%	21.2%	19.1%
Associate's degree	10.1%	10.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.6%	25.1%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	17.9%	15.3%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	10.7%	9.9%	14.1%
High School or higher	87.6%	87.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$44,297

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$29,154

HS graduate

$39,436

Some college or associates

$40,009

Bachelors degree

$53,707

Graduate or professional degree

$81,875

Poverty Rate

3.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

31.4%

HS graduate

16.6%

Some college or associates

12%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Lee County	Mississippi	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$44,297	$42,912	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$29,154	$29,259	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$39,436	$35,321	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$40,009	$40,529	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$53,707	$53,681	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$81,875	$65,353	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	31.4%	32.8%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	16.6%	20%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	12%	13.2%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.2%	5.7%	4.5%

Insights for Lee County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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