Lincoln County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54043 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Lincoln County has a population of 19,902 residents and a median age of 44.1 years, making it the #1,887 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 23.2%. The median home value is $105,300, and the median household income is $46,205, which is 39% below the national median.

19,902
Population
#1,887 of 3,222
$46,205
Median Income
-38.5% #2,927 of 3,222
44.1 years
Median Age
+13.4% #924 of 3,222
23.2%
Poverty Rate
+83.8% #2,916 of 3,222

Demographics

Lincoln County has a population of 19,902, making it the #1,887 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.1 years, which is 13.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.5%
Native Born
0.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lincoln County is $46,205, ranking #2,927 out of 3,222 counties — 38.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 23.2% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.

Income#2,927
$46,205
-38.5%
vs nation
9th percentile
Per Capita#2,948
$25,319
-38.6%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poverty#2,916
23.2%
+83.8%
vs nation
10th percentile
Unemployment#2,508
5.9%
+12.1%
vs nation
22th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lincoln County is $105,300 (-62.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $771/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.5%.

Home Value#2,912
$105,300
-62.6%
vs nation
9th percentile
Rent#2,335
$771
-33.7%
vs nation
27th percentile
Homeownership#1,623
74.5%
+15.6%
vs nation
50th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lincoln County, 8.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 75.8% below the national average, ranking #3,212 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
8.1% −75.8% vs nation
Rank #3,212 of 3,222
0th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lincoln County is 68.7 years. 29.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,966
68.7
-8.6%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,060
29.7%
+51.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Diabetes#2,889
14.4%
+29.4%
vs nation
8th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,063
44.7%
+19.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,140
7.4
+31.9%
vs nation
0th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,137
6.6
+48.5%
vs nation
0th percentile
Uninsured Rate#900
7.2%
-31.0%
vs nation
71th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,966
35.0%
+32.7%
vs nation
6th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,540
17.3%
+20.1%
vs nation
19th percentile

Substance Use

26.9% of adults in Lincoln County smoke , 44.7% are obese , and 15.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 98.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,102
26.9%
+49.8%
vs nation
1th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,999
44.7%
+17.9%
vs nation
5th percentile
Excessive Drinking#334
15.9%
-20.0%
vs nation
89th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,088
98.2
+203.7%
vs nation
1th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Lincoln County is 7.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 26.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#977
7.7
-3.9%
vs nation
36th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,171
26.5
+34.1%
vs nation
15th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,911
22.8
+27.3%
vs nation
23th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,922
23.1
+13.9%
vs nation
32th percentile

Families & Children

23.2% of children in Lincoln County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 26.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,099
26.8
+22.8%
vs nation
30th percentile
Child Poverty#2,344
23.2%
+22.2%
vs nation
25th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lincoln County is 49.2%. The mean commute time is 35.7 min, which is 29.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
49.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
35.7 min +29.4% vs nation
Rank #231 of 3,222
93th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lincoln County voted Republican with a margin of 62.5%. The vote was 17.8% Dem / 80.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +62.5%
17.8% 80.3%
Dem 7,187 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.9%
21.9% 76.8%
Dem 7,830 votes Rep
2016 REP +54.7%
20.5% 75.2%
Dem 6,988 votes Rep
2012 REP +31.6%
32.7% 64.3%
Dem 6,747 votes Rep
2008 REP +8.9%
44.3% 53.2%
Dem 6,835 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lincoln County, West Virginia

Lincoln County, West Virginia has a total population of 19,902, making it the 1,887th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lincoln County is 44.1 years, which is 13.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lincoln County is $46,205, which ranks #2,927 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 38.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 23.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.

The median home value in Lincoln County is $105,300, 62.6% below the national median. Renters in Lincoln County pay a median gross rent of $771 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lincoln County, 8.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 75.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.7 min.

Lincoln County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.2%).

All data for Lincoln County, West Virginia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.