Lee County Demographics

A map of Lee County's Population by Race

Lee County, Illinois has an estimated population of 33,869, a less than 1% change from the 34,145 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 83.4% White, 7.6% Hispanic, 5.3% Black, 2.9% Multiracial, 0.7% Asian, and 0.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Lee County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Lee is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Illinois overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Lee County, that probability was 29.8% in 2020 and 29.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Lee County is ranked the 42nd most populous county in Illinois, out of 102 counties. Lee County was ranked the 42nd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Lee County's White Population

28,257 residents of Lee County, or 83.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Lee County is significantly higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Lee County ranks 69th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Lee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 83.4%.

Lee County is more White than neighboring Ogle County (83% White), DeKalb County (71% White), and LaSalle County (82.1% White). Lee County is less White than neighboring Bureau County (84.6% White), and Putnam County (88.6% White).

Lee County's Black Population

1,795 residents of Lee County, or 5.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Lee County is lower than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Lee County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Black population has declined by an estimated 2.0%. Black residents' share of Lee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.3%.

Lee County is more Black than neighboring Ogle County (1.2% Black), Bureau County (0.6% Black), Putnam County (0.3% Black), and LaSalle County (2.5% Black). Lee County is less Black than neighboring DeKalb County (6.8% Black).

Lee County's Asian Population

243 residents of Lee County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Lee County is lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Lee County ranks 37th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 2.0%. Asian residents' share of Lee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Lee County is more Asian than neighboring Ogle County (0.6% Asian). Lee County is less Asian than neighboring Bureau County (0.9% Asian), DeKalb County (2.2% Asian), and LaSalle County (0.8% Asian).

Lee County's Hispanic Population

2,564 residents of Lee County, or 7.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Lee County is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Lee County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Lee County's population has increased from 6.8% to 7.6%.

Lee County is more Hispanic than neighboring Putnam County (6.6% Hispanic). Lee County is less Hispanic than neighboring Ogle County (11.9% Hispanic), Bureau County (10.2% Hispanic), DeKalb County (14.5% Hispanic), and LaSalle County (11.2% Hispanic).

Lee County's Native American/Other Population

37 residents of Lee County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Lee County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Lee County ranks 57th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 72.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Lee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Lee County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Ogle County (0.4% Native American/Other), Bureau County (0.3% Native American/Other), Putnam County (0.6% Native American/Other), DeKalb County (0.7% Native American/Other), and LaSalle County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Lee County's Multiracial Population

973 residents of Lee County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Lee County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Lee County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 17.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Lee County's population has decreased from 3.4% to 2.9%.

Lee County is less Multiracial than neighboring Bureau County (3.4% Multiracial), Putnam County (3.2% Multiracial), DeKalb County (4.8% Multiracial), and LaSalle County (3.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.