19960615 05 BNSF, 1996
Lee’s story
154 years in pictures
Census counts: 218 in 1880, 313 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1996 and 2 maps from 1934 on.
- 1872Lee is settled
LeeIL
A town of 300, settled in 1872.
Population
300
2025 Census estimate · −2.6% since 2020
Typical home
$271K
+8% in a year
Household income
$82K
median
Median age
40.2
years
Jobs based here
17
A commuter town
Is Lee a good place to live?
Lee’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both the Illinois town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Lee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
300 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lee: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lee, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLee water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers5% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lee’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLee County ClerkLee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6053060530 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lee.
Work & commute
Most of Lee’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Lee for work: only 0% work in town. 19% of Lee residents live below the poverty line, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The top destinations are Rochelle (7%), Ashton (6%) and Rockford (6%).
0%work in town
| Lee | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $82,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lee0%
Rochelle7%
Ashton6%
Rockford6%
DeKalb5%
33 mi
median commute distance
17
jobs based in Lee
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Lee
Lee has cold winters and pleasant summers. Lee’s July high is 83°F.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–81°
Fall41–61°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Lee is
Lee beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of Lee adults binge drink.
| Lee | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 23% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 78% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Lee | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.2% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.1% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.7% | 7.6% |
Rochelle Community Hospital
11.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Lee’s typical home value is about $271K
The typical Lee home is worth about $271,000, up 8% in a year, 8% below the Illinois typical home. 84% of households own their home in Lee.
$271KZillow home value
| Lee | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,188 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lee$271K
Illinois$296K
+8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Lee faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 125 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gordon Korth Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lee
17pages on Lee
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Lee
Kishwaukee CollegeCommunity college · Public · Malta10.4 mi$4,560 in-state tuitionNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Dekalb13.1 mi$13,248 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Lee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Lee for work
Where Lee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
17jobs based in Lee
0%of working residents work in town
33 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Lee
Village in Illinois, United States
Lee is a village in DeKalb County and Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 313 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 938 ft
- ZIP code
- 60530
Questions about Lee
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lee, IL a good place to live?
Lee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.