Lincoln County, Montana Income Statistics
Lincoln County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Lincoln County Well below averageLess wealthy than 89% of counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Lincoln County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $47,976 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $48,033 | $54,706 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.9% | 5.2% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.7% | 10.8% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.5% | 9.0% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Lincoln County is about 34% lower than in Montana. Income has been growing slower in Lincoln County (3.9%/yr) than in Montana (5.2%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Lincoln County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Montana average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Lincoln County, Montana grew by 48.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $47,976 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.9% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Lincoln County
| Metric | Lincoln County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.540 | 0.523 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $60,105 | $64,583 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $42,469 | $50,364 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 29.3% | 22.0% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Lincoln County, it is 0.540, higher than Montana's 0.523, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 42% more than women's income in Lincoln County, Montana. Over a 35-year career, a 42% wage gap accumulates to roughly $617,260 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lincoln County, Montana has narrowed from about 40% to 29% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 17% in 2017. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $340 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Lincoln County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.1% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 15.5% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 11 | 16 | 22 |
Approximately 394 people are unemployed in Lincoln County, Montana.
The average commute time in Lincoln County is 11 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Montana.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Lincoln County, Montana has fallen from 11.5% to 5.1% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 13.2% in 2014.
Lincoln County, MT Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Lincoln County, MT is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 21,175 residents against a local median of 13,782. Lincoln County, MT's income growth, at 3.9%/yr, runs 31% below the 5.6%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $47,976 against a local median of $67,293, 29% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Lincoln County, MT reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 1.8%/yr on income growth, so Lincoln County, MT sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lincoln County, MT has the 6th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, MT | 21,175 | $47,976 #6/6 | 3.9%/yr #6/6 | 5.1% #4/6 | 0.540 #4/6 |
| Sanders County, MT | 13,282 | $59,078 | 7.1%/yr | 6.0% | 0.552 |
| Boundary County, ID | 13,172 | $67,524 | 7.1%/yr | 2.6% | 0.556 |
| Bonner County, ID | 51,033 | $67,293 | 5.6%/yr | 4.8% | 0.538 |
| Shoshone County, ID | 13,782 | $56,255 | 5.4%/yr | 5.3% | 0.521 |
| Flathead County, MT | 110,697 | $73,879 | 5.4%/yr | 2.9% | 0.514 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lincoln County, Montana has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Montana, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Lincoln County, Montana.
How Rich Is Lincoln County, Montana?
Lincoln County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $47,976, about 34% lower than the Montana average of $72,476.
Are incomes growing in Lincoln County, Montana?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Lincoln County, Montana rose 49%, from $32,303 to $47,976. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Montana as a whole: +49% against +68%.
What was the median household income in Lincoln County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Lincoln County, Montana was $47,350, up 6% from $44,549 in 2022. The Montana median that year was $69,624.
What was the median household income in Lincoln County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Lincoln County, Montana was $39,814. By 2024 it had risen 21% to $47,976.
Is unemployment high in Lincoln County, Montana?
Unemployment in Lincoln County, Montana is 5.1%, well above the Montana rate of 3.6%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Lincoln County, Montana?
The Gini coefficient in Lincoln County is 0.540. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Lincoln County, Montana?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lincoln County, Montana has narrowed from about 40% to 29% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 17% in 2017. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $340 since 2009.
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