COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Lee County

South Carolina · 18,437 residents · 410 sq mi

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With 18,437 people, Lee County is a county in South Carolina. 29.6% of locals live below the federal poverty line. 79% of homes are owner-occupied. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 7% of adults. The typical home is worth $41,900. Households here earn about 31% less than in South Carolina as a whole.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Younger

median age 31.1

US median: 33.0

Less educated

7% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

18,437

−8%vs 2000

vs 20,119 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

31.1

−13%vs 2000

vs 35.7 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

410 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202416K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57.6%(1,393)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 99.3%(1,707)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 148.8%(1,620)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.4%(1,549)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.6%(1,220)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.9%(2,925)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4413.4%(2,478)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.7%(1,794)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 648%(1,482)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 747.3%(1,341)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844%(743)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1%(185)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$18,174

−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $26,907 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$7,569

−46%vs 2000

vs $13,896 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

29.6%

+7.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 21.8% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$41,900

+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $47,600 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$235

−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $330 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

78.7%

−0.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 79.4% in 2000

21.3% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic34.6%(6,961)

Black63.3%(12,736)

Hispanic / Latino1.3%(264)

Asian0.2%(36)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic37.2%(6,866)

Black62.1%(11,444)

Hispanic / Latino0.5%(89)

Asian0.3%(50)

Other0.4%(77)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican1.4%(225)

Central American0.7%(110)

Honduran0.7%(110)

Cuban0.2%(27)

South American0%(3)

Colombian0%(3)

Puerto Rican0%(2)

Asian origin

Filipino0.1%(15)

Hmong0.1%(11)

Pacific Islander origin

Samoan0.1%(22)

Ancestry

American5.7%(928)

English5.3%(853)

German3.5%(564)

Irish2.8%(457)

West Indian2.3%(376)

Jamaican2.2%(363)

Scottish1.4%(233)

Scotch-Irish1.2%(199)

British0.5%(79)

Subsaharan African0.5%(74)

Welsh0.5%(73)

Italian0.4%(69)

+ 16 more ancestry groups with data

French Canadian0.3%(56)

Israeli0.3%(43)

French0.3%(41)

Hungarian0.2%(37)

Swedish0.2%(30)

Belgian0.1%(23)

Polish0.1%(23)

Haitian0.1%(13)

Norwegian0.1%(11)

Greek0.1%(10)

Ghanaian0%(7)

Arab0%(6)

Moroccan0%(6)

Czech0%(5)

Dutch0%(3)

Canadian0%(1)

RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest West Indian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

7.5%

−1.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 9.2% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

53.5%

−7.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 61.4% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

1.9%

−0.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 2.6% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

20.3 min

−3%vs 2000

vs 21.0 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married44.4%(3,064)

Married41.5%(2,861)

Widowed4.8%(332)

Divorced9.3%(638)

Women 15+

Never married36.5%(2,486)

Married40%(2,728)

Widowed12.9%(877)

Divorced10.7%(727)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

10.3%

−6.9 ptssince 2013

from 17.2% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

39.3%

+0.7 ptssince 2020

from 38.6% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

12.5%

+1.5 ptssince 2020

from 11.0% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

28.4%

+3.0 ptssince 2020

from 25.4% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

34.2%

−0.9 ptssince 2020

from 35.1% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

3.2%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 3.4% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

51.6%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 50.4% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

53.7%

+0.9 ptssince 2020

from 52.8% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)13.2%(111)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)28.1%(236)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era47.6%(399)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War3.7%(31)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.7%(6)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 839 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

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