Lee County and Its Homes
Lee County grew 11 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 70,258 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 27,200 housing units.
Its two incorporated towns each have a page here: Sanford and Broadway. About 50 percent of Lee County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.
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Lee County at a Glance
- Population: 70,258 (2025), 63,388 (2020)
- Housing units: about 27,200
- Median year built: 1988 (North Carolina: 1991)
- Built before 1980: 37% (statewide: 34%)
- Detached houses: 68%
- Mobile homes: 15%
- Owner-occupied: 67%
- Heated with electricity: 78% (statewide: 65%)
- Climate zone: 3 (2021 map), 4 (state code)
- Towns with pages here: 2
Census Bureau estimates for Lee County (housing: 2020 to 2024).
What We Do in Lee County
Attic Insulation in Lee County
Some 37 percent of Lee County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Lee County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Lee County attics, and a mouse-soiled Lee County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 13 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Lee County
Some 78 percent of Lee County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.
Homes in Lee County
Half of Lee County's 27,200 housing units were built before 1988: 21 percent before 1970, 37 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 13 percent in 2010 or later. The largest share went up in the 2000s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves.
Lee County by type: 68 percent detached houses, 16 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 15 percent mobile homes. In Lee County, 78 percent of homes heat with electricity, 13 percent with piped gas and 7 percent with tank gas.
Lee County Homes by Year Built
- Before 1940: about 920 units, 3% (±1)
- 1940s: about 730 units, 3% (±1)
- 1950s: about 1,990 units, 7% (±1)
- 1960s: about 2,170 units, 8% (±1)
- 1970s: about 4,260 units, 16% (±2)
- 1980s: about 4,480 units, 17% (±2)
- 1990s: about 4,320 units, 16% (±2)
- 2000s: about 4,800 units, 18% (±2)
- 2010s: about 2,710 units, 10% (±1)
- 2020 or later: about 790 units, 3% (±1)
Climate Across Lee County
NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Lee County towns, by station: Sanford 8 NE station (Sanford and Broadway): about 3,180 heating and 1,670 cooling degree days. NOAA's New Hill station, 20 miles from Sanford, has about 3,570 heating and 1,500 cooling degree days.
Power and Gas in Lee County
The card lists Lee County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.
Enbridge Gas North Carolina holds the Lee County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 13 percent of Lee County homes heat with piped gas.
Who Supplies Power in Lee County
- Duke Energy Progress: Sanford and Broadway
- Central Electric: homes near Sanford and Broadway
Energy Programs for Lee County Homes
Check each program's current terms for a Lee County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.
Programs for Lee County
- Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Sanford and Broadway).
- Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Sanford and Broadway).
- Residential energy audits (Central Electric; near Sanford and near Broadway): home energy audits for members.
- Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Sanford and Broadway).
- ThermWise Weatherization Assistance (Enbridge Gas; Lee County gas customers): no-cost weatherization for gas customers, income-qualified.
- Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Lee County address).
- Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Lee County address).
Lee County Insulation FAQs
Do you serve all of Lee County?
Yes: Sanford and Broadway, and every unincorporated Lee County address.
Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Lee County?
Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Sanford and Broadway).
Does attic insulation in Lee County need a permit?
Ask Sanford/Lee County Building Permitting/Inspections before work starts. For an address in Sanford or Broadway, the town or city hall can tell you whether Lee County's office handles its permits.
Counties Near Lee County
Chatham County · Harnett County · Moore County · Hoke County · Cumberland County · All service areas
Lee County, NC
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Insulation Pros in Lee County
An insulation contractor serving North Carolina, Lee County included.
Send the square footage of your Lee County attic, or call (336) 870-3893.