How many people live in Lee County, NC?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 68,500 people living in Lee County, NC. That makes Lee County the 41st-most populous county in North Carolina. It is home to 0.61% of people living in the state.
68.5K
population of Lee County, NC (2024)
0.61%
County share of the North Carolina population (2024)
About 68,500 people lived in Lee County, NC in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Lee County, NC’s age demographics?
About 12,000 Lee County, NC residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 17.5% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of North Carolina’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 15,800 Lee County residents, or 23% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.6% of North Carolina’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Lee County, NC's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Lee County, NC’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 22.9% of the Lee County, NC population, higher than the national share of 20%. Lee County, NC also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Black or African American (17.2%) than the US overall (12.6%).
In contrast, Lee County’s non-Hispanic Asian population accounts for 1.5%, below the 6.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic white population makes up 55.5% of the county, compared with 57.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Lee County, NC has a higher share of a Hispanic population than North Carolina as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Lee County, NC is Sanford with about 33,000 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Lee County, NC ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sanford | 32,971 |
| 2. | Broadway (pt.) | 1,362 |
| 3. | Balance of Lee County | 34,204 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
