Lee County Demographics

A map of Lee County's Population by Race

Lee County, Mississippi has an estimated population of 83,034, a less than 1% change from the 83,343 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 62.5% White, 29.9% Black, 3.5% Hispanic, 2.4% Multiracial, 1.0% Asian, and 0.7% 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 has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is less diverse than Mississippi 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 51.2% in 2020 and 51.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Lee County is ranked the 7th most populous county in Mississippi, out of 82 counties. Lee County was ranked the 7th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Lee County's White Population

51,855 residents of Lee County, or 62.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Lee County is higher than in Mississippi overall, where 55.2% of the population is White. Lee County ranks 30th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.9%. White residents' share of Lee County's population has decreased from 63.4% to 62.5%.

Lee County is less White than neighboring Itawamba County (88.2% White), Pontotoc County (74% White), Prentiss County (79.5% White), Union County (76.5% White), and Monroe County (66.3% White).

Lee County's Black Population

24,831 residents of Lee County, or 29.9% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Lee County is lower than in Mississippi overall, where 36.3% of the population is Black. Lee County ranks 58th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Black population has grown by an estimated 2.9%. Black residents' share of Lee County's population has increased from 29.0% to 29.9%.

Lee County is more Black than neighboring Itawamba County (5.2% Black), Pontotoc County (14.7% Black), Prentiss County (12.8% Black), Union County (13.6% Black), and Monroe County (29.7% Black).

Lee County's Asian Population

823 residents of Lee County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Lee County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 1% of the population is Asian. Lee County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 10.5%. Asian residents' share of Lee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Lee County is more Asian than neighboring Itawamba County (0.5% Asian), Pontotoc County (0% Asian), Prentiss County (0.5% Asian), Union County (0.3% Asian), and Monroe County (0.3% Asian).

Lee County's Hispanic Population

2,933 residents of Lee County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Lee County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 3.7% of the population is Hispanic. Lee County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Lee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Lee County is more Hispanic than neighboring Itawamba County (1.9% Hispanic), Prentiss County (1.5% Hispanic), and Monroe County (1.6% Hispanic). Lee County is less Hispanic than neighboring Pontotoc County (7.1% Hispanic), and Union County (4.9% Hispanic).

Lee County's Native American/Other Population

564 residents of Lee County, or 0.7% 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 Mississippi overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Lee County ranks 44th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 88.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Lee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Lee County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Itawamba County (0.6% Native American/Other), Pontotoc County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Monroe County (0.2% Native American/Other). Lee County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Prentiss County (1.2% Native American/Other), and Union County (0.9% Native American/Other).

Lee County's Multiracial Population

2,028 residents of Lee County, or 2.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Lee County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 3% of the population is Multiracial. Lee County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lee County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 12.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Lee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.4%.

Lee County is more Multiracial than neighboring Monroe County (1.9% Multiracial). Lee County is less Multiracial than neighboring Itawamba County (3.8% Multiracial), Pontotoc County (3.6% Multiracial), Prentiss County (4.4% Multiracial), and Union County (3.8% 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.