Lee County, Arkansas Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Lee County, Arkansas, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Lee County, Arkansas. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Lee County, Arkansas. The estimated population of Lee County, Arkansas is 8,832 people, with a median age of 41.7.

We can look at the total population in Lee County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
8,832
-1.46% -8.13%
2020
8,963
-2.51% -
2019
9,194
-2.17% -
2018
9,398
-2.25% -
2017
9,614
- -

Population of Lee County, Arkansas by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
40.6%
40.7%
-0.25%
Black/African American
54.8%
56.9%
-3.69%
Native
0.2%
0.1%
+100.00%
Hispanic
2.7%
1.4%
+92.86%
Asian
0.2%
0.1%
+100.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.5%
0.8%
+87.50%
Other
0%
0%
0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Lee County, Arkansas by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 41.7 -1.42% 41 +5.67% 46.4 -4.72%
2020 42.3 -0.47% 38.8 -0.77% 48.7 +2.31%
2019 42.5 +1.67% 39.1 0% 47.6 +3.93%
2018 41.8 -0.24% 39.1 +0.77% 45.8 0%
2017 41.9 - 38.8 - 45.8 -

The median age of Lee County, Arkansas gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 468 -3.25% 429 -4.42% 449 410
10 to 19 555 -5.84% 503 +28.3% 496 653
20 to 29 956 -19.71% 518 -63.25% 777 259
30 to 39 875 -17.48% 321 +15.62% 724 346
40 to 49 873 +9.01% 527 -29.79% 949 378
50 to 59 696 -3.31% 604 -1.55% 668 591
60 to 69 557 -21.8% 629 -32.19% 441 430
70+ 475 +9.45% 628 +17.15% 521 740

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Lee County, Arkansas is $29,082.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Lee County.

  • Under 25
    $0.00
  • 25 to 44
    $17,430.00
  • 45 to 64
    $46,789.00
  • 65 and over
    $25,000.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Lee County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Lee County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Lee County, Arkansas is currently $54,648.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.07% of households in Lee County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Lee County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    47.02%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    20.35%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    8.78%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    9.72%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    8.13%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2.93%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.07%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Lee County is $19,688.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Lee County by the total population of Lee County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Lee County, Arkansas, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Lee County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    2.27%
  • Bachelor's degree
    15.50%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    14.39%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    64.32%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.52%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Lee County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Lee County over the age of 16 is 7,424.

Of those people, a total of 40.20% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Lee County is 34.40%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 600 30.00% 28.90%
20 to 24 years 576 48.60% 15.00%
25 to 29 years 460 37.80% 17.80%
30 to 34 years 574 54.20% 8.70%
35 to 44 years 1,322 49.30% 19.60%
45 to 54 years 1,052 54.30% 9.10%
55 to 59 years 708 54.50% 19.20%
60 to 64 years 434 51.20% 7.20%
65 to 74 years 969 16.90% 1.80%
75 years and over 729 5.80% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Lee County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 3,239 48.50% 13.10%
Black or African American 3,949 33.20% 16.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 16 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 20 100.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 56 33.90% 0.00%
Two or more races 144 41.70% 16.70%
Hispanic or Latino 171 64.30% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 3,141 47.20% 13.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Lee County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Lee County is 2,557, with median earnings of $31,867.00.

Women in Lee County, Arkansas earning approximately 83.60% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 2,557 $31,867.00
Male 1,465 $33,568.00
Female 1,092 $28,056.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 525 $31,872.00
Business and Financial 103 $49,659.00
Computer and Mathematical 4 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 5 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 23 $0.00
Community and Social Service 26 $45,417.00
Legal 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 73 $38,125.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 8 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 99 $78,494.00
Healthcare Support 152 $17,500.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 22 $29,464.00
Law Enforcement 72 $45,238.00
Food Preparation and Serving 81 $2,499.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 124 $24,474.00
Personal Care and Service 50 $19,063.00
Sales 170 $16,875.00
Office and Administrative Support 309 $30,977.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 170 $38,343.00
Construction and Extraction 91 $30,313.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 113 $34,353.00
Production 151 $29,866.00
Transportation and Material Moving 75 $41,250.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 401 $31,722.00 124 $33,667.00
Business and Financial 28 $27,333.00 75 $53,125.00
Computer and Mathematical 0 $0.00 4 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 5 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 23 $0.00 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 12 $46,250.00 14 $39,375.00
Legal 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 32 $46,429.00 41 $19,635.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 8 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 2 $0.00 97 $78,558.00
Healthcare Support 3 $0.00 149 $17,366.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 6 $0.00 16 $0.00
Law Enforcement 59 $46,012.00 13 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 0 $0.00 81 $2,499.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 84 $57,031.00 40 $19,875.00
Personal Care and Service 0 $0.00 50 $19,063.00
Sales 145 $16,930.00 25 $9,732.00
Office and Administrative Support 67 $0.00 242 $31,953.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 170 $38,343.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 73 $32,188.00 18 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 102 $34,107.00 11 $0.00
Production 99 $31,953.00 52 $28,750.00
Transportation and Material Moving 72 $41,538.00 3 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 2,767 households in Lee County, with an average household size of 2.66 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 1,635 families in Lee County with an average family size of 3.59 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,056 51 528 1,132
Average Household Size 3.11 6.61 4.6 1.15
Total Families 1,056 51 528 0
Average Household Size 3.07 6.25 4.36 0

Poverty

Of the 1,635 families in Lee County, 21.40% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Lee County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 3,774 housing units in Lee County, Arkansas.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 2,767 73.32%
Vacant 1,007 26.68%

20.56% of the total 3,774 housing units in Lee County are rental units. This is approximately 776 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 1,690 are occupied by the owner - or 44.78% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Lee County is $589.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Lee County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    301
  • Less than $500
    289
  • $500 to $999
    351
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    136
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Lee County is $75,300.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Lee County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    473
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    604
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    255
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    239
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    48
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    56
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    15
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Lee County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Lee County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    261
  • 1940 to 1949
    122
  • 1950 to 1959
    478
  • 1960 to 1969
    856
  • 1970 to 1979
    852
  • 1980 to 1989
    439
  • 1990 to 1999
    341
  • 2000 to 2009
    261
  • 2010 to 2013
    164
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Lee County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    551
  • 1 vehicle available
    971
  • 2 vehicles available
    721
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    524

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Lee County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Lee County that commute to work in a particular way.

22.3 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Lee County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    208
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    419
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    285
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    226
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    274
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    169
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    287
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    39
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    17
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    105
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    127
  • 90 or more minutes
    72

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Lee County, Arkansas in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Lee County, Arkansas

We have data for 18 places in Lee County, Arkansas. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.