Virginia · GEOID 51105

Lee County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 21,900 · 10,851 housing units

Median household income

$41,827

State $99,933

Median home value

$98,900

State $421,251

Median gross rent

$738

State $1,592

Homeownership rate

73.0%

State 67.3%

Renter cost-burden rate

56.2%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

15.8%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

0.9%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

8.1%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

21.4%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

2.36

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Lee County	Virginia
Population	21,900	8,705,170
Population density (per sq. mi.)	50.30	—
Median household income	$41,827	$99,933
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$65,200	—
Households	8,527	—
Average household size	2.38 people	—
Owner-occupied	73.0%	67.3%
Renter-occupied	27.0%	32.7%
Race	92.7% White · 4.3% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Lee County compared with Virginia.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

14.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 42.2%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	31.8%	$30,951	$774	$84,191
1 earner	37.9%	$57,500	$1,438	$183,015
2 earners	24.2%	$95,365	$2,384	$323,961
3+ earners	6.0%	$160,192	$4,005	$565,269

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

8,527

Average size: 2.38 people

Households with children

1,635

19.2% of households

Per-capita income

$24,828

Poverty rate: 28.5%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

73.0% owner-occupied vs. state average 67.3%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 73.8% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 6.2%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

52.9% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,977.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $98,900.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $738.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 2,324 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 2.5% · For rent 8.8% · Seasonal 9.6% · Other 68.6%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

21.8% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 78.2% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

2.1%

223 units of 10,851 total

Housing units held for seasonal or recreational use.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

14.7%

1,595 units of 10,851 total

⚑ Above the 5% threshold — possible indicator of disinvestment, abandonment, or condemned stock.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$33,462

100% MHI$41,827

120% MHI$50,192

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Lee County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$44,750	$51,150	$63,900
100% AMI	$45,640	$52,160	$65,200
120% AMI	$54,750	$62,600	$78,250

HUD FMR Area: Lee County, VA. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

56.2% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (32.2% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

15.8% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Lee County.

Covered employment

3,187

Across 20 sectors

Establishments

501

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$48,049

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	690	$27,972	$73,102	−$25,798	$699
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	688	$41,894	$124,924	+$26,024	$1,047
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	644	$71,682	$235,805	+$136,905	$1,792
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	220	$56,550	$179,479	+$80,579	$1,414
NAICS 31-33 Manufacturing NAICS 31-33	154	$47,622	$146,246	+$47,346	$1,191
NAICS 42 Wholesale trade NAICS 42	112	$56,654	$179,866	+$80,966	$1,416
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	94	$50,761	$157,930	+$59,030	$1,269
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	83	$53,271	$167,273	+$68,373	$1,332
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	81	$34,851	$98,708	−$192	$871
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56	68	$37,106	$107,102	+$8,202	$928
NAICS 55 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 55	64	$67,550	$220,425	+$121,525	$1,689
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	53	$55,223	$174,539	+$75,639	$1,381
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	52	$41,838	$124,716	+$25,816	$1,046
NAICS 22 Utilities NAICS 22	51	$70,777	$232,437	+$133,537	$1,769
NAICS 21 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction NAICS 21	38	$61,415	$197,588	+$98,688	$1,535
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	29	$36,549	$105,028	+$6,128	$914
NAICS 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation NAICS 71	20	$29,097	$77,289	−$21,611	$727
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	20	$18,829	$39,068	−$59,832	$471
NAICS 11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting NAICS 11	18	$35,402	$100,759	+$1,859	$885
NAICS 99 Unclassified NAICS 99	8	$20,044	$43,591	−$55,309	$501

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	688	$41,894	$124,924	+$26,024	$1,047
NAICS 922 Justice, public order, and safety activities NAICS 922	480	$83,435	$279,554	+$180,654	$2,086
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	291	$58,370	$186,253	+$87,353	$1,459
NAICS 722 Food services and drinking places NAICS 722	279	$17,709	$34,899	−$64,001	$443
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	146	$21,318	$48,333	−$50,567	$533
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	99	$42,147	$125,866	+$26,966	$1,054
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	95	$37,044	$106,871	+$7,971	$926
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	85	$17,947	$35,785	−$63,115	$449
NAICS 424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods NAICS 424	76	$35,739	$102,013	+$3,113	$893
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	66	$43,509	$130,936	+$32,036	$1,088
NAICS 237 Heavy and civil engineering construction NAICS 237	65	$60,318	$193,505	+$94,605	$1,508
NAICS 551 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 551	64	$67,550	$220,425	+$121,525	$1,689
NAICS 624 Social assistance NAICS 624	53	$55,223	$174,539	+$75,639	$1,381
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	52	$41,838	$124,716	+$25,816	$1,046
NAICS 221 Utilities NAICS 221	51	$70,777	$232,437	+$133,537	$1,769
NAICS 456 Health and personal care retailers NAICS 456	50	$54,586	$172,168	+$73,268	$1,365
NAICS 484 Truck transportation NAICS 484	45	$50,856	$158,284	+$59,384	$1,271
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	43	$29,986	$80,599	−$18,301	$750
NAICS 812 Personal and laundry services NAICS 812	43	$37,540	$108,717	+$9,817	$939
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	38	$56,130	$177,915	+$79,015	$1,403
NAICS 444 Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers NAICS 444	26	$33,452	$93,500	−$5,400	$836
NAICS 441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers NAICS 441	23	$26,274	$66,781	−$32,119	$657
NAICS 712 Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions NAICS 712	20	$29,097	$77,289	−$21,611	$727
NAICS 113 Forestry and logging NAICS 113	18	$35,402	$100,759	+$1,859	$885
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	15	$38,173	$111,073	+$12,173	$954
NAICS 814 Private households NAICS 814	14	$23,413	$56,132	−$42,768	$585
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	12	$29,085	$77,245	−$21,655	$727
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	11	$32,125	$88,561	−$10,339	$803
NAICS 923 Administration of human resource programs NAICS 923	9	$46,871	$143,450	+$44,550	$1,172
NAICS 925 Administration of housing programs, urban planning, and community development NAICS 925	9	$58,972	$188,494	+$89,594	$1,474
NAICS 813 Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations NAICS 813	9	$34,262	$96,515	−$2,385	$857
NAICS 999 Unclassified NAICS 999	8	$20,044	$43,591	−$55,309	$501
NAICS 519 Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services NAICS 519	5	$25,015	$62,095	−$36,805	$625

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs	3,280	(910)	(22%)	$13.97	$29,060	$77,152	$727
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	3,950	(1,510)	(28%)	$14.49	$30,140	$81,172	$754
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	190	60	46%	$15.33	$31,880	$87,649	$797
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	1,660	150	10%	$16.09	$33,470	$93,567	$837
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	2,650	(790)	(23%)	$16.35	$34,010	$95,577	$850
Tellers SOC 43-3071	350	(100)	(22%)	$16.68	$34,700	$98,146	$868
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	1,240	(40)	(3%)	$19.56	$40,680	$120,405	$1,017
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	650	(570)	(47%)	$19.58	$40,720	$120,554	$1,018
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	290	130	81%	$19.73	$41,030	$121,708	$1,026
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs	1,550	(390)	(20%)	$20.00	$41,600	$123,830	$1,040
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	2,070	(1,700)	(45%)	$20.10	$41,810	$124,612	$1,045
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	510	230	82%	$22.17	$46,120	$140,655	$1,153
Paramedics SOC 29-2043 · prior-year code differs	190	(180)	(49%)	$23.40	$48,670	$150,147	$1,217
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	1,340	110	9%	$23.58	$49,050	$151,561	$1,226
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	1,990	(380)	(16%)	$24.99	$51,980	$162,468	$1,300
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	130	—	—	$25.85	$53,770	$169,131	$1,344
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	1,030	430	72%	$26.94	$56,030	$177,543	$1,401
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	1,610	120	8%	—	$57,270	$182,159	$1,432
Electricians SOC 47-2111	350	(180)	(34%)	$35.23	$73,270	$241,716	$1,832
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	2,080	70	3%	$39.41	$81,970	$274,101	$2,049

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 51105 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.