Sanford, NC

City in Lee County, NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

31,478

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

Median Age

34.7

years ∙ half population younger than 34.7, half older

Diversity Index

68%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

15%

foreign-born population

85%Native

15% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Sanford is a city within Lee County, North Carolina, United States.

Location

City in Lee County, NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC35.493776° N, 79.176464° W

DMS35° 29′ 37.59″ N, 79° 10′ 35.27″ W

Population Density & area

948.1/sq mi (366.4/km²)

Total Area

33.5 sq mi (86.6 km²)

Land Area

33.2 sq mi (85.9 km²) · 99.18%

Water Area

0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²) · 0.82%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.9% male

Male 49.9%

Female 50.1%

males per 100 females

Sanford 99.7

Lee County 97.8

North Carolina 95.6

Nativity

15%

foreign-born population

85%Native

15% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Sanford 15%

Lee County 9.9%

North Carolina 9.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

34.7

years ∙ half population younger than 34.7, half older

Sanford

34.7

Lee County

39.5

North Carolina

39.1

Dependency ratio

75.6

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Sanford 75.6

Lee County 69

North Carolina 63.8

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	27.9%	23.7%	21.8%
Working age (18-64)	57%	59.2%	61%
Senior (65+)	15.1%	17.1%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	75.6	69	63.8
Child dependency ratio	49	40	35.6
Old-age dependency ratio	26.6	29	28.2

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

41.8%

Black

23.1%

Asian

0.9%

Hispanic

30%

Other

4.2%

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

68%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Sanford 68%

Lee County 61%

North Carolina 58.4%

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 Sanford population

Racial and ethnic composition — Sanford vs Lee County vs North Carolina. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	30%	21.7%	11.3%
Mexican	17.9%	13%	5.6%
Puerto Rican	1.6%	2%	1.3%
Cuban	0.2%	0.2%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	10.3%	6.6%	4.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino	70%	78.3%	88.7%
One race	66.1%	74%	84.6%
White	41.8%	55.8%	60%
Black or African American	23.1%	17.2%	20%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0%	0.8%
Asian	0.9%	0.9%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.1%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.9%	4.3%	4.1%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

69.3% family

Family 69.3%

Non family 30.7%

% family households

Sanford 69.3%

Lee County 69.3%

North Carolina 64.3%

Average household size

2.71

persons per household

Sanford

2.71

Lee County

2.58

North Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Sanford population

	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Total households	11,359	25,145	4,282,345
Average houshold size	2.71	2.58	2.44
Family households	7,868	17,424	2,753,022
Average family size	3.22	3.05	3.03
Married couple family	5,032	11,916	2,021,951
Other families	2,836	5,508	731,071
Male householder	511	1,529	195,051
Female householder	2,325	3,979	536,020
Non-family households	3,491	7,721	1,529,323
One-person households	2,871	6,427	1,258,822
Male householder	1,078	2,522	544,050
Senior (65+) living alone	371	790	160,332
Female householder	1,793	3,905	714,772
Senior (65+) living alone	936	1,936	342,051
Other living arrangements	620	1,294	270,501

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

12,531

housing units

Sanford 12,531

Lee County 27,166

North Carolina 4,895,668

Occupancy status

90.6% occupied

Occupied 90.6%

Vacant 9.4%

vacancy rate

Sanford 9.4%

Lee County 7.4%

North Carolina 12.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

64.8%

Single family houses

64.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

30.2%

Mobile homes

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1985

Half of houses were built before 1985, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

24.2%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

40.3%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

31.3%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.3	5.6	5.6
1–3 rooms	9.6%	7.3%	11.4%
4–6 rooms	63.5%	60.3%	54.9%
7+ rooms	26.9%	32.5%	33.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.1%	1.2%	1.9%
1 bedroom	6.8%	5.2%	7.1%
2 bedrooms	29.7%	22.1%	23.8%
3 bedrooms	44.7%	54.6%	46.2%
4+ bedrooms	16.6%	16.9%	21%
At a glance
Median year built	1985	1988	1992
Total housing units	12,531	27,166	4,895,668

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

53.3% owners

Renter-occupied 46.7%

Owner-occupied 53.3%

homeownership rate

Sanford 53.3%

Lee County 67.3%

North Carolina 66.6%

Average household size

2.68

Owner-occupied

2.73

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Sanford 2.68

Lee County 2.57

North Carolina 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Total occupied units	11,359	25,145	4,282,345
Year moved in
2020 or later	28.2%	22.5%	26.2%
2010 to 2019	39.7%	37.5%	39.2%
2000 to 2009	15.1%	17.9%	16.2%
1999 or earlier	17%	22.1%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	95.7%	97.3%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	2.6%	1.7%	1.5%
1.51 or more	1.8%	1%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	5.7%	3.9%	5.3%
1 vehicle	31%	28.3%	31.4%
2 vehicles	37.4%	35.5%	38%
3 or more vehicles	25.9%	32.3%	25.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas	29.9%	20.2%	30.5%
Electricity	68.8%	77.7%	65.5%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.5%	0.5%	2%
All other fuels	0.1%	0.7%	1.3%
No fuel used	0.6%	0.8%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.1%	0.4%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.2%	0.4%	0.6%
No telephone service available	0.8%	0.8%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$245,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Sanford

$245,400

Lee County

$240,200

North Carolina

$288,900

Housing Cost Burden

29.7%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

29.7%

Owners without a mortgage

10%

Renters

49.4%

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

	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$245,400	$240,200	$288,900
Under $100,000	18.4%	14.9%	12.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	18%	24.9%	18.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	29.5%	28.2%	20.5%
$300,000 - $500,000	26.3%	24.9%	28.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	7.1%	6.3%	16.3%
$1,000,000 and more	0.8%	0.9%	3.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	62.3%	59.7%	61.3%
Without a mortgage	37.7%	40.3%	38.7%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,456	$1,448	$1,631
Without a mortgage	$464	$476	$490
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,052	$1,017	$1,228

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

21.6%

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

Sanford 21.6%

Lee County 21.3%

North Carolina 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

20.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Sanford 20.8%

Lee County 15%

North Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

8,516

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

4.6%

K–12

78.4%

College / Undergraduate

13%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

23.7%

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

Sanford

23.7%

Lee County

27.3%

North Carolina

39.3%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	8,516	15,467	2,530,102
Nursery / preschool	4.6%	5.2%	5.3%
K–12	78.4%	75.6%	67.4%
Kindergarten	5.4%	4.2%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	26.6%	26%	20%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	26.2%	22.9%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.2%	22.5%	21.5%
College or graduate school	17%	19.2%	27.3%
College, undergraduate	13%	16%	21.7%
Graduate, professional school	4%	3.2%	5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	23.7%	27.3%	39.3%
School type
Public school	88.2%	86.4%	82.3%
Private school	11.8%	13.6%	17.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

20,003

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

11%

HS graduate

25%

Some college no degree

20.4%

Associates degree

12.2%

Bachelors degree

14.6%

Graduate or professional degree

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

49.9% · 50.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

52.4% · 47.6%

HS graduate

55.2% · 44.8%

Some college no degree

42.8% · 57.2%

Associates degree

33.7% · 66.3%

Bachelors degree

45.7% · 54.3%

Graduate or professional degree

43.5% · 56.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Population (25+)	20,003	44,766	7,380,330
Less than 9th grade	9.8%	6.4%	3.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	11%	8.6%	6%
High school diploma or GED	25%	28.1%	24.8%
Some college, no degree	20.4%	23.1%	19.6%
Associate's degree	12.2%	12.4%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.6%	21.3%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	14.6%	14.1%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	7%	7.2%	13.5%
High School or higher	79.2%	84.9%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$40,103

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$32,969

HS graduate

$35,972

Some college or associates

$39,526

Bachelors degree

$60,052

Graduate or professional degree

$73,125

Poverty Rate

3.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

27.8%

HS graduate

22%

Some college or associates

14.3%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Sanford	Lee County	North Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$40,103	$43,353	$49,275
Less than high school graduate	$32,969	$31,990	$31,234
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$35,972	$37,933	$37,346
Some college or associate's degree	$39,526	$43,558	$43,525
Bachelor's degree	$60,052	$60,564	$64,395
Graduate or professional degree	$73,125	$67,386	$80,986
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	27.8%	24.3%	26.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	22%	16.7%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	14.3%	11.1%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.6%	2.9%	4.2%

Insights for Sanford, 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.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.