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Lee County, AL: population growth, jobs and income

Lee County gained 2,099 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+1.1%).

Lee County had an estimated 189,881 residents in 2025, up 8.6% (15,043 more people) since 2020. That is faster than Alabama as a whole (+3.2%), and the 4th fastest growth of 67 counties in Alabama.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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Data file: the tables in CSV and Excel, no PDF. 3 counties: adds Muscogee County and Russell County.

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In the Lee County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Lee County plus 15 more figures, ranked against Alabama and the U.S. Three of the 15, free:

  • Median gross rent$1,058/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes12.8%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months2,693Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • IRS net movers: people, households and rateIn the report
  • Households and housing unitsIn the report
  • Homes built since 2010, share of all homesIn the report
  • Private business establishmentsIn the report
  • Residents who moved in; 3-year net migration rateIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 689 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out. Counting international arrivals, net migration was about +1,533.

Private employers had 51,454 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +7.4% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 2.5% in 2025, 0.3 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 1,575 new homes in 2025, or 8.3 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $65,824 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +24.4% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 278th.

Part of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area.

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Lee County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
2025189,881+2,099
2024187,782+3,779
2023184,003+3,037
2022180,966+3,404
2021177,562+2,724
2020174,838–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Lee County

Lee County grew by 15,043 people since 2020; the largest part came from domestic migration (+7,758).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+539+2,623
International migrationfrom and to other countries+844+4,559
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+689+7,758
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+27+103
Total change+2,099+15,043

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

How Lee County ranks
MeasureIn AlabamaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth4th of 67278th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents29th of 671,276th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth19th of 67937th of 3,092
Median household income13th of 671,544th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate14th of 67120th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents3rd of 67237th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Lee County, AL as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. It has everything on this page plus 15 more figures for Lee County, ranked against Alabama and the U.S. Pay once, no subscription.

Add 2 neighbouring counties for $50: the Muscogee County and Russell County reports too, $149 for all 3.

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Neighbouring counties

Lee County grew faster than all 6 of its neighbouring counties (+8.6%, 2020–25).

Only Harris County, GA had a higher median household income (2020–24) among its 6 neighbouring counties; Lee County's was $65,824.

Lee County, AL and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Lee County, AL This county189,881+8.6%3.68.3$65,824
Russell County, AL58,898−0.6%2.42.6$51,197
Chambers County, AL34,253−0.9%−0.32.9$49,656
Macon County, AL18,132−6.8%−7.50.3$43,707
Harris County, GA37,280+6.8%9.04.7$97,302
Tallapoosa County, AL40,953−0.8%5.55.6$59,356
Muscogee County, GA202,171−2.3%−3.01.3$58,073

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 67 Alabama counties · Every state

Questions

Is Lee County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 8.6% between 2020 and 2025, about 15,043 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Most recently, between 2024 and 2025 it gained 2,099 residents (+1.1%). Alabama as a whole changed +3.2% over the same years. That ranks 4th of 67 counties in Alabama for population growth.

How many people moved to Lee County?

On net, about 689 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate). Counting international arrivals, net migration was about +1,533.

What is the unemployment rate in Lee County?

It averaged 2.5% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Lee County?

About 189,881 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Lee County?

Private employers there had 51,454 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +7.4% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Alabama

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Alabama county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Lee County data alerts

Email me when Lee County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Lee County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

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Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.