Lee County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.5 | 67,059 people · 53rd most distressed in North Carolina

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Lee County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.5 — 1248th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within North Carolina, it ranks 53rd of 100 counties. It scores higher than all 3 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lee County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 72.6 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 72.6
Uninsured Rate 79
Disability Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 63.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 64
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 61
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Income & Poverty 57.7
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 40
Child Poverty Rate 73
Debt & Delinquency 49.0
Debt in Collections 66
Medical Debt 62
Student Loan Delinquency 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 60
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26
Employment & Wages 29.9
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 36
Business Formation Rate 20

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Lee County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lee County
Lee County, NC 54.5 Elevated
Harnett County, NC 52.5 Elevated -2.1
Moore County, NC 38.2 Normal -16.3
Chatham County, NC 32.8 Healthy -21.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lee County
Cowlitz County, WA 54.5 Elevated +0.0
Jackson County, OR 54.5 Elevated -0.0
Carbon County, PA 54.6 Elevated +0.0
Flagler County, FL 54.5 Elevated -0.1
Huron County, OH 54.5 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Lee County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Lee County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Lee County.

BRICK CAPITAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Sanford
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpHome Improvement/RehabPost-Purchase

Find an Attorney

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Lee County residents at no cost.

Self-Help Resources

NC Courts Self-Help Resources — Foreclosure Official NC court system resources for foreclosure proceedings and borrower rights
NCHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and HAF information

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