Lee County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Lee County, Illinois had an estimated 33,544 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 34,151, across 725 square miles. County output reached $2.17 bn in 2024, 690 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 16 7(a) approvals worth $7.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Lee County
How many people live in Lee County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202433,869
- Households13,337
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$70,292
- Median age43.1
- Median gross rent$894 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$154,600
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over24,965
- Population under 186,655
- Share under 1819.6 percent
- Population 65 and over7,227
- Share 65 and over21.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6419,987
- Civilian labor force15,690
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.7 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties42nd of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1369th of 3,222
Lee County is the 42nd largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.3 percent against 19.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lee County
Is Lee County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202433,544
- Census 2020 base population34,151
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.78 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-62
- Births, 2024278
- Deaths, 2024407
- Natural change, 2024-129
- Net domestic migration, 20240
- Net international migration, 202466
- Total net migration, 202466
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-181
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2442nd of 3,144
The county has lost 1.78 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lee County
Where are people moving to Lee County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving870
- People arriving, from those returns1,499
- Tax returns filed by households leaving938
- Net household movement-68
- Adjusted gross income arriving$46.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-8.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$53,018
- Average income of a leaving household$58,198
- Largest single originWhiteside County (174 households)
- Largest single destinationWhiteside County (191 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteside County | 174 | 305 | $8.3 m |
| Ogle County | 160 | 294 | $8.1 m |
| DeKalb County | 63 | 104 | $3.7 m |
| Cook County | 45 | 77 | $2.6 m |
| Winnebago County | 37 | 59 | $1.8 m |
| LaSalle County | 34 | 73 | $1.9 m |
| DuPage County | 33 | 58 | $2.3 m |
| Bureau County | 29 | 42 | $1.4 m |
Households arriving report $5,180 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Whiteside County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lee County
What is the Lee County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.17 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.08 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years34.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes34th of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1211th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$64,169
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 34.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lee County
Employment by industry in Lee County
- Covered employment, annual average12,375
- Establishments reporting692
- Average annual pay$58,453
- Average weekly wage$1,124
- Manufacturing, employment3,063
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$72,377
- Retail trade, employment1,248
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,036
- Accommodation and food services, employment837
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,186
- Wholesale trade, employment688
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$64,924
- Other services, except public administration, employment470
- Finance and insurance, employment226
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,063 | 32 | $72,377 |
| Retail trade | 1,248 | 92 | $39,036 |
| Accommodation and food services | 837 | 72 | $20,186 |
| Wholesale trade | 688 | 31 | $64,924 |
| Other services, except public administration | 470 | 66 | $32,836 |
| Finance and insurance | 226 | 36 | $61,801 |
| Construction | 206 | 75 | $54,449 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 191 | 23 | $50,984 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 3,063 jobs, 24.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lee County
How many businesses are in Lee County?
- Establishments, all industries690
- Employment at those establishments10,894
- Annual payroll$574.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lee County
Building permits in Lee County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202443
- Declared construction value permitted$9.6 m
- Single family units authorized27
- Multifamily units authorized16
- Multifamily share of units37.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$222,531
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.2
Single-family homes are 62.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lee County
SBA loans in Lee County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded16
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$476,431
- Median 7(a) approval$325,000
- Largest single approval$1,445,700
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)157
- Jobs per approval9.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer18.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter12
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals6.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (3)
- Most active lenderMidland States Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$12.4 m
- Average 504 approval$1,242,600
- Median 504 approval$1,005,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval22.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.3
- Most active CDCRockford Local Development Corporation (8)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$20.0 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lee County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Lee County
Do SBA loans in Lee County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 3 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lee County
SBA lending by place in Lee County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Dixon, approvals8
- Amboy, approvals5
- Mendota, approvals2
- Rochelle, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Dixon | 8 | $3,651,400 |
| Amboy | 5 | $2,245,500 |
| Mendota | 2 | $600,000 |
| Rochelle | 1 | $1,126,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lee County
How large is Lee County?
- Land area725 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties19th of 102
- Width, east to west35.8 mi
- Height, north to south21.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land47
- Establishments per square mile0.95
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lee County
Flood risk in Lee County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Lee County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 170413
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Lee County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Lee County (community 170413), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Lee County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Lee County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lee County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202433,869
- Households13,337
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$70,292
- Median age43.1
Common questions
Lee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lee County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 33,544 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 33,869, in 13,337 households, ranking 42nd of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lee County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.78 percent since the 2020 census base of 34,151, to 33,544 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 278 births against 407 deaths, with net migration of 66. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lee County?
$70,292. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $154,600, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $894 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Lee County?
690 establishments, employing 10,894 people with an annual payroll of $574.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Lee County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 3,063 jobs, 24.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 12,375 jobs at an average annual pay of $58,453, or $1,124 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lee County?
16 7(a) approvals totaling $7.6 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $325,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $12.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Lee County?
43 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.6 m. Multifamily was 37.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lee County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lee County come from?
The largest single origin is Whiteside County, with 174 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,018 against $58,198 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lee County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lee County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Lee County
Cities and places in Lee.
14 Census places lie wholly or partly in Lee County. All 14 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon | city | 14,910 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Amboy | city | 2,384 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Franklin Grove | village | 988 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ashton | village | 935 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Paw Paw | village | 932 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sublette | village | 454 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lee | village | 320 | None recorded | 52.8 percent here, 47.2 percent DeKalb County |
| Steward | village | 271 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Compton | village | 259 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Brooklyn | village | 152 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nelson | village | 125 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harmon | village | 100 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nachusa | CDP | 82 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lee Center | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 16 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Lee County, the largest being Mendota (2), Rochelle (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby