• county
  • FIPS 21129
  • Largest town: Beattyville

Lee County, Kentucky

Lee County had 7,313 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 208.8 square miles of land. It ranks 111th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 96th by land area.

Population
7,313
#111 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,636 in US
Area
208.8 sq mi
#96 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,986 in US
Density
35 / sq mi
#100 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,796 in US
Median household income
$37,939
#113 of 120 in Kentucky · #3,107 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Lee County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Lee County

Lee County population, land area and income

Lee County had 7,313 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 208.8 square miles of land. It ranks 111th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 96th by land area. That works out to 35.0 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents, so Lee County has 37% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $37,939 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

7,313

3144th1st

2636th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

209 sq mi

3144th1st

2986th of 3,144 (US)

Density

35.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

1796th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$37,939

3143rd1st

3107th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

7,313

120th1st

111th of 120 (KY)

Land area

209 sq mi

120th1st

96th of 120 (KY)

Density

35.0 / sq mi

120th1st

100th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$37,939

120th1st

113th of 120 (KY)

How Lee County's population changed since 2020

Lee County lost 51 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 0.7%. That ranks 85th of 120 in Kentucky for growth. The median Kentucky county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Lee County recorded 292 births and 551 deaths, a natural change of -259. Net international migration added +2 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +182. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 259 people.

7,36420207,45720217,25920227,30120237,3132024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
292
Deaths
551
Net international migration
+2
Net domestic migration
+182
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+12

Where Lee County is

The Census internal point of Lee County is at 37.608100, -83.719200. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Lee County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adair County: +1.9%Kenton County: +3.3%Owen County: +1.2%Morgan County: +4.1%Bracken County: +1.1%Edmonson County: +4.0%Trigg County: +3.4%Jackson County: +3.0%Spencer County: +6.8%Clark County: +1.7%Jessamine County: +6.6%Green County: +3.8%Henry County: +3.2%Graves County: +0.8%Webster County: -1.3%Washington County: +1.9%Ohio County: +0.8%Knott County: -5.1%Meade County: +1.4%Carroll County: +2.5%Scott County: +7.2%Lincoln County: +2.7%Greenup County: -1.7%Boyle County: +2.1%Hardin County: +1.8%Nelson County: +4.1%Hart County: +3.2%Christian County: -2.4%Carlisle County: -0.6%Crittenden County: -0.2%Elliott County: -1.0%Garrard County: +6.3%Larue County: +1.7%Lee County: -0.7%Leslie County: -7.1%Hancock County: -1.0%Lewis County: -1.6%Lyon County: +4.6%McLean County: -0.1%Magoffin County: -4.2%Martin County: -4.9%Mason County: -1.1%Rockcastle County: +1.0%Menifee County: +3.2%Russell County: +2.6%Whitley County: +1.5%Todd County: +3.9%Union County: -3.5%Wolfe County: -2.9%Bell County: -3.9%Boyd County: -0.9%Butler County: +1.9%Metcalfe County: +2.7%Grant County: +2.8%Simpson County: +3.7%Pike County: -5.2%Gallatin County: +1.5%Harlan County: -6.4%Fayette County: +2.1%Logan County: +3.5%Muhlenberg County: -1.2%Bath County: +1.8%Mercer County: +3.8%Barren County: +2.5%Franklin County: +1.6%Bullitt County: +4.2%Boone County: +5.6%Campbell County: +0.9%Jefferson County: +1.4%Wayne County: +0.4%Ballard County: -1.1%Anderson County: +4.1%Pulaski County: +2.7%Knox County: -1.7%Laurel County: +1.0%Breckinridge County: +3.8%Oldham County: +4.2%Letcher County: -6.2%Lawrence County: -3.1%McCracken County: -0.6%Nicholas County: +3.7%Owsley County: -2.6%Powell County: -1.3%Bourbon County: +0.2%Calloway County: +3.7%Henderson County: -1.1%Clinton County: -0.5%Warren County: +9.6%Montgomery County: +2.4%Floyd County: -3.5%Woodford County: +3.1%Hopkins County: -0.3%Johnson County: -2.4%Marshall County: +0.1%Estill County: -1.1%Cumberland County: +3.2%Fleming County: +3.3%Madison County: +7.1%Carter County: -1.9%Allen County: +7.1%Daviess County: +1.0%Harrison County: +4.3%Perry County: -5.7%Fulton County: -3.5%Clay County: -3.5%Robertson County: +9.1%Trimble County: +1.5%Taylor County: +3.1%Shelby County: +3.9%McCreary County: -0.2%Breathitt County: -6.5%Livingston County: -0.6%Hickman County: -3.0%Rowan County: -0.2%Casey County: +0.2%Monroe County: -1.4%Marion County: +1.3%Grayson County: +2.3%Caldwell County: -0.2%Pendleton County: +1.3%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.6%
  2. < +0.2%
  3. < +1.9%
  4. < +3.7%
  5. ≥ +3.7%
no data

Orange pin: Lee County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.608100, -83.719200
DMS
37°36'29.16"N 83°43'9.12"W
UTM
17N 259973.4E 4165811.7N
Geohash
dnsmyyme1
Plus code
869RJ75J+68

Towns in Lee County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Lee County, 2,125 people together, or 29% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Lee County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Beattyville with 2,125.

  1. 01Beattyville2,125
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Lee County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Lee County. The most populous is Estill County, KY, with 14,002 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 74.6 miles WNW of Lee County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 50.2 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Berea, KY (population 16,436), 31.5 miles away.

Lee County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Lee County is 21129: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 129. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $37,939.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Lee County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 7,313. That is down 51 people (0.7%) from the July 2020 estimate of 7,364.

What is the FIPS code of Lee County?

21129. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (129) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Lee County?

Beattyville, with 2,125 residents inside Lee County in 2024.

Which counties border Lee County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Estill County, KY; Jackson County, KY; Powell County, KY; Breathitt County, KY; Wolfe County, KY; Owsley County, KY.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.