Lincoln County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lincoln County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 77% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 73% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lincoln County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,512 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 72.8 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.04% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.2 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,705 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lincoln County declined by 2.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,512 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lincoln County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.2% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,819 19.7% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,849 19.8% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,194 21.2% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,447 18.1% +0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kentucky, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.6% of the people living in Lincoln County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.4% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lincoln County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lincoln County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lincoln County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,661 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.21% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lincoln County is about 18% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Lincoln County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $23,408 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $697 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.4% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lincoln County is about 2.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $697 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lincoln County spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 214 hours, about 8.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lincoln County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.7 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.4 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 214 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,643 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,005 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 692 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Lincoln County is 26 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lincoln County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lincoln County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.3% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Lincoln County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lincoln County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.3 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.5% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Lincoln County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lincoln County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, KY | 24,512 | $52,661 #2/3 | $23,408 #3/3 | 25.7 min #3/3 |
| Boyle County, KY | 30,941 | $61,212 | $189,130 | 16.4 min |
| Pulaski County, KY | 65,897 | $52,614 | $83,012 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lincoln County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Lincoln County, Kentucky?
About 24,512 people live in Lincoln County, Kentucky, in 9,705 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Lincoln County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Lincoln County, Kentucky has 73 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lincoln County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($23,408 against $52,661), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $697 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Lincoln County, Kentucky?
14.3% of adults in Lincoln County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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