Lee County
Land Area: 438 square miles
Population (2000): 23,589

Lee County's landscape is a study in contrasts. The broad and beautiful valley of the Powell River crosses the midsection of the county, meandering through fields that are as flat as the plains. To the north is all-but-impassable Stone Mountain and to the south is the spectacular Powell Mountain range. The northeast includes coal-bearing hills carved from the Cumberland Plateau. There are several small towns in the county: Dryden (pop. 1,253), Ewing (pop. 436), Jonesville (pop. 995), Keokee (pop. 316), Pennington Gap (pop. 1,781), Rose Hill (pop. 714), and St. Charles (pop. 159).

The economy is based on service industries, manufacturing, trade, agriculture and mining, and transfer payments (retirement pensions, disability income, and welfare benefits). In 1995, major employers included the public school system, Lee County Community Hospital, DeRoyal Industries (surgical appliances and supplies), and several small garment factories.

There are many attractions in Lee County. The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park includes facilities for hiking, biking, and camping in three remarkable places: the White Rocks Overlook, Sand Cave, and Hensley's Settlement. Other attractions include Wilderness Road State Park, Great Stone Face, Lake Keokee, Cedar Hill Country Club, Monte Vista Golf Club, Cumberland Bowl Park, and the Cave Springs National Recreation Area.

Death rates from several common causes are higher in Lee County than in Virginia - e.g., heart disease (+53%), cancer (+5%), chronic lower respiratory diseases (+42%), unintentional injury (+112%), pneumonia and influenza (+4%), diabetes mellitus (+56%), chronic liver disease (+116%), suicide (+114%), and nephritis and nephrosis (+40%). Death rates from other common causes are lower in Lee County than in Virginia : stroke (-37%), septicemia (-51%), and Alzheimer's disease (-28%).

The total pregnancy rate for women aged 15-44 in Lee County is 33% lower than in Virginia . The teen pregnancy rate is 15% lower in Lee County . Lee women are 8% less likely to receive prenatal care in the first trimester than women in Virginia as a whole. Babies born to residents of Lee County are 1% more likely to be low birth weight than babies born to Virginia residents, but the infant mortality rate in Lee County is 49% higher than the infant mortality rate in Virginia .

The population of Lee County is less prosperous than the population of Virginia. Lee County's poverty rate is 150% higher than the poverty rate in Virginia and the per capita income for Lee Countians is only 57% of the per capita income of Virginians. Proportionately fewer people in Lee County are in the labor force and the proportion of Lee Countians over the age of 25 without a high school diploma is 113% higher than in Virginia. Given the relative poverty and poor health status of the population, it seems clear that Lee County needs additional providers of primary care.


Population Health
Lee Virginia
Disabled Population, Ages 5-20 (2000) 9.7% 8.1%
Disabled Population, Ages 21-64 (2000) 34.4% 17.5%
Disabled Population, Ages 65+ (2000) 57.1% 42.1%
     
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Diseases of the Heart 334.5 218.0
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Malignant Neoplasms 198.8 190.0
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Cerebrovascular Diseases 36.6 58.3
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - COPD 55.5 39.2
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Unintentional Injury 69.6 32.8
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Pneumonia and Influenza 23.7 22.7
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Diabetes Mellitus 33.8 21.7
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Suicide 23.7 11.1
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Septicemia 10.2 15.4
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Nephritis and Nephrosis 21.9 15.6
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis 16.7 7.7
Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Alzheimers Disease 11.5 15.9
     
Total Pregnancy Terminations (Residents) Per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44 (1998 - 2002 avg.) 55.6 82.6
Teenage Pregnancies Per 1,000 Females Aged 10-19 (1998 - 2002 avg.) 26.6 31.3
Percent of Resident Live Births Beginning Prenatal Care in 1st Trimester (1998 - 2002 avg.) 78.1% 84.8%
Low Weight Live Births as a Percent of Total Births (1998 - 2002 avg.) 8.0% 7.9%
Resident Infant Deaths Per 1,000 Lives Births (1998 - 2002 avg.) 10.7 7.2
     
Economic Indicators    
Population with Medicaid (2004) 30.9% 10.8%
Poverty Rate (2000) 23.9% 9.6%
Per Capita Income (2000) $13,625 $23,975
Population Aged 16+ in Labor Force (2000) 48.0% 66.8%
Population Aged 25+ w/o High School Diploma (2000) 39.4% 18.5%
     
Employment By Industry    
Agriculture, Forestry, Mining, Fishing, Hunting 9.5% 1.3%
Construction 9.5% 7.3%
Manufacturing 12.1% 11.3%
Retail and Wholesale Trade 13.2% 14.1%
Transportation and Warehousing and Utilities 6.3% 4.6%
Information 1.7% 3.8%
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental and Leasing 4.1% 6.6%
Professional, Scientific, Management, Adminstrative, and Waste Management Services 4.6% 11.6%
Education, Health, and Social Services 24.9% 18.3%
Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation and Food Services 4.3% 7.2%
Public Administration 5.6% 8.3%
Other Services 4.3% 5.4%

Links
Lee County - http://www.netvaly.org/lee.htm
Lee County - http://lee.va-village.com/
Lee County - http://www.lenowisco.org/
Lee County - http://www.vaswpromise.com/
Lee Regional Medical Center - http://www.leeregional.com/
Lenowisco Health District - http://www.vdh.state.va.us/lhd/lenowisco/index.htm
Jonesville (town) - http://lee.va-village.com/jonesville/
Pennington Gap (town) - http://www.townofpennington.com/