Sanford is a city in Lee County, North Carolina, home to about 31,478 people across 29 square miles. Its ZIP code is 27330, and parts of 27332 are in Sanford too.
Homes sold for a median of $160 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Sanford
Part is in Sanford, part in Spout Springs
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Sanford. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Sanford’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)36 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Raleigh, NC39 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA383 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Sanford; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Sanford had 30,261 residents in the 2020 census, up 30% since 2000.
It’s the 34th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Lee County grew from 11,376 residents in 1910 to 63,285 in 2020.
Lee County, 1910–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 90°F in summer, and winter lows average 31°F. About 46.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 2 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Sanford 8 Ne, NC weather station (8 miles away).
25,852 jobs at 1,460 businesses in Lee County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
494 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Sanford.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 49 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 80 |
| Dentists | 30 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 117 |
| Mental health providers | 140 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 63 |
| Optometrists | 6 |
| Chiropractors | 9 |
| Pharmacies | 21 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (9 nearby)
Grocery stores (10 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Colleges and universities
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Harnett County Schools, Lee County Schools, Rising Leaders Academy and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benhaven ElementarySanford | Pre-K–5 | 1,065 | Public | 10.1 mi |
| Floyd L Knight Children CenterSanford | Pre-K–12 | 95 | Special Education | 0.2 mi |
| Highland ElementarySanford | Pre-K–5 | 854 | Public | 12.9 mi |
| BT Bullock ElementarySanford | K–5 | 511 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| Deep River ElementarySanford | K–5 | 557 | Public | 8.8 mi |
| Greenwood ElementarySanford | K–5 | 571 | Public | 5.6 mi |
| J Glenn Edwards ElementarySanford | K–5 | 587 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| J R Ingram Jr ElementarySanford | K–5 | 419 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| Rising Leaders AcademySanford | K–8 | 282 | Charter | 1.2 mi |
| Tramway ElementarySanford | K–5 | 559 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| WB Wicker ElementarySanford | K–5 | 588 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee CountySanford | 6–12 | 628 | Charter | 3.0 mi |
| Ascend Leadership Remote AcademySanford | 6–8 | 27 | Charter | 3.0 mi |
| Bragg Street AcademySanford | 6–12 | 40 | Alternative Education | 1.1 mi |
| Central Carolina AcademySanford | 6–12 | 536 | Charter | 2.9 mi |
| East Lee MiddleSanford | 6–8 | 526 | Public | 2.9 mi |
| Highland MiddleSanford | 6–8 | 762 | Public | 13.1 mi |
| SanLee Middle SchoolSanford | 6–8 | 792 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| West Lee MiddleSanford | 6–8 | 522 | Public | 2.9 mi |
| Lee County HighSanford | 9–12 | 1,459 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Lee Early CollegeSanford | 9–13 | 272 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Southern Lee High SchoolSanford | 9–12 | 1,180 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Christian SchoolSanford | Pre-K–12 | 374 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 2.2 mi |
| Grace Christian SchoolSanford | TK–12 | 949 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 4.1 mi |
| Calvary Education CenterSanford | K–12 | 42 | Pentecostal | 4.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Spout Springs.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.