Lincoln County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lincoln County, WI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
B
Income Around average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lincoln County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,426 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 31.3 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.12% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.3 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,771 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lincoln County declined by 4.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,426 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lincoln County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.5% of residents. That is 3.8 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,747 16.7% -4.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,988 17.5% -3.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,965 24.5% +3.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,489 22.8% +5.0 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 Wisconsin, 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 50.1% of the people living in Lincoln County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 49.9% Wisconsin 50.0%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Lincoln County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,061 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.76% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lincoln County is about 10% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Lincoln County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $245,833 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $755 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.5% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lincoln County is about 27.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $755 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lincoln County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lincoln County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.6 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,852 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.6% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,363 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 407 | 811 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Wisconsin:
Ashland County (12.8 min), Door County (13.6 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Oconto County (26.4 min), St. Croix County (25.3 min), Waushara County (23.9 min).
The average commute time in Lincoln County is about the same as in Wisconsin.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lincoln County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.18 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.4), Ozaukee County (0.4), Waukesha County (0.4).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.2), Adams County (0.2), Juneau County (0.2).
Health
Lincoln County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lincoln County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.9% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.8), Waukesha County (0.8), Ozaukee County (0.8).
Lowest:
Menominee County (0.8), Clark County (0.8), Forest County (0.8).
Lincoln County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Lincoln County, WI is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 28,426 residents against a local median of 38,164. Where Lincoln County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 16% above the local median of 16.2 min at 18.8 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves sit within 1.0 min of each other on commute, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Lincoln County, WI, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Lincoln County, WI has the 4th lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, WI | 28,426 | $70,061 #2/4 | $245,833 #2/4 | 18.8 min #4/4 |
| Oneida County, WI | 38,164 | $68,781 | $258,637 | 16.0 min |
| Marathon County, WI | 138,251 | $78,153 | $136,999 | 17.0 min |
| Vilas County, WI | 23,647 | $68,038 | $215,000 | 16.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lincoln County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Lincoln County, Wisconsin?
About 28,426 people live in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, in 12,771 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 47.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Lincoln County, Wisconsin urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lincoln County, Wisconsin has 31 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 36% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lincoln County, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($245,833 against $70,061), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $755 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Lincoln County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Lincoln County, Wisconsin is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Lincoln County, Wisconsin have a college degree?
17.8% of adults in Lincoln County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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