Demographics
Historical population| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|
| 1880 | 8,937 | | — |
|---|
| 1890 | 11,952 | | 33.7% |
|---|
| 1900 | 14,595 | | 22.1% |
|---|
| 1910 | 13,132 | | −10.0% |
|---|
| 1920 | 14,014 | | 6.7% |
|---|
| 1930 | 13,390 | | −4.5% |
|---|
| 1940 | 12,751 | | −4.8% |
|---|
| 1950 | 10,144 | | −20.4% |
|---|
| 1960 | 8,949 | | −11.8% |
|---|
| 1970 | 8,048 | | −10.1% |
|---|
| 1980 | 10,952 | | 36.1% |
|---|
| 1990 | 12,854 | | 17.4% |
|---|
| 2000 | 15,657 | | 21.8% |
|---|
| 2010 | 16,612 | | 6.1% |
|---|
| 2020 | 17,478 | | 5.2% |
|---|
|
Racial and ethnic composition
Lee County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 [8] | Pop 2010 [6] | Pop 2020 [7] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|
| White alone (NH) | 10,724 | 10,798 | 10,612 | 68.49% | 65.00% | 60.72% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,872 | 1,772 | 1,631 | 11.96% | 10.67% | 9.33% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 47 | 44 | 47 | 0.30% | 0.26% | 0.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 32 | 52 | 57 | 0.20% | 0.31% | 0.33% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 5 | 17 | 1 | 0.03% | 0.10% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 11 | 7 | 37 | 0.07% | 0.04% | 0.21% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 118 | 198 | 614 | 0.75% | 1.19% | 3.51% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,848 | 3,724 | 4,479 | 18.19% | 22.42% | 25.63% |
| Total | 15,657 | 16,612 | 17,478 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 17,478. The median age was 41.9 years; 24.6% of residents were under 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 98.7 males. [9]
The racial makeup of the county was 67.2% White, 9.7% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 9.4% from some other race, and 12.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 25.6% of the population. [10]
About 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 99.9% lived in rural areas. [11]
Of the 6,590 households, 32.0% had children under 18 living in them, 54.9% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. [9]
About 16.2% of the 7,860 housing units were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.8% were owner-occupied and 22.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%. [9]
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, Lee County had a similar ethnic makeup compared to the overall United States. [12]
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, 15,657 people, 5,663 households, and 4,150 families were residing in the county. [13] The population density was 25 inhabitants per square mile (9.7/km2). The 6,851 housing units had an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.59% White, 12.08% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 8.90% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. About 18.19% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. About 35.5% were of German and 8.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000; 80.1% spoke English, 14.4% Spanish, and 5.1% German as their first language. Of the 5,663 households, 35.7% had children under 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were not families. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.65, and the average family size was 3.15. In the county, the age distribution was 28.8% under 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 98.0 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,280, and for a family was $42,073. Males had a median income of $30,635 versus $21,611 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,163. About 9.70% of families and 11.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those 65 or over.
Politics
Lee County was historically Democratic, although less so than the majority of Texas, as it was somewhat allied with the isolated Republican German-American Unionist stronghold centered in Gillespie and Kendall Counties. Its voters nonetheless selected Democrats in every election up to 1976, except the landslide Republican triumphs of 1956 and 1972, plus the heavily war-influenced elections of 1916 and 1940, when its German-American population was suspicious of the Democratic Party's position towards Germany. Since 1980, like all of the rural White South, Lee County has become powerfully Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has won a majority in the county since Jimmy Carter in 1976, although during the drought- and farm crisis-dominated 1988 election, Michael Dukakis won a 14-vote plurality. In the past five elections, the GOP candidate has always passed two-thirds of the county's vote and Donald Trump exceeded three-quarters in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
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