Lincoln County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lincoln County, WV 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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D
Health Well below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in West Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in West Virginia
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lincoln County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,902 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 45.4 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.95% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,673 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lincoln County declined by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,902 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lincoln County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 0.7 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,707 18.6% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,824 19.2% on par
- Gen X 45–60 4,356 21.9% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,119 20.7% -0.5 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 West Virginia, 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 50.8% of the people living in Lincoln County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 49.2% West Virginia 49.7%
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 | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,204 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.30% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lincoln County is about 23% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Lincoln County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $105,903 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $770 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lincoln County is about 11.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $770 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lincoln County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 262 hours, about 10.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lincoln County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.5 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.9 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 262 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,126 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,945 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,138 | 1,052 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
West Virginia:
Randolph County (16.4 min), Ohio County (17.0 min), Pocahontas County (17.2 min).
Slowest:
Hampshire County (40.3 min), Morgan County (35.8 min), Monroe County (33.7 min).
The average commute time in Lincoln County is 31 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in West Virginia.
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 | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.4% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.59 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
West Virginia:
Monongalia County (0.4), Ohio County (0.3), Jefferson County (0.3).
Lowest:
McDowell County (0.1), Lincoln County (0.2), Clay County (0.2).
Health
Lincoln County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Lincoln County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.6 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 27.1% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 29.1% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
West Virginia:
Monongalia County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8).
Lowest:
McDowell County (0.7), Lincoln County (0.8), Mingo County (0.8).
Lincoln County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
Lincoln County, WV is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,902 residents against a local median of 38,164. The measure that sets Lincoln County, WV apart most is median home price: $105,903, 59% above the local median of $66,665.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 31.5 min against a local median of 21.8 min, 44% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Lincoln County, WV reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread $76,497 on median home price, so Lincoln County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lincoln County, WV has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, WV | 19,902 | $46,204 #6/6 | $105,903 #1/6 | 31.5 min #6/6 |
| Cabell County, WV | 92,739 | $56,062 | $55,124 | 18.0 min |
| Wayne County, WV | 38,164 | $59,127 | $98,860 | 21.8 min |
| Logan County, WV | 31,458 | $49,728 | $93,898 | 21.2 min |
| Putnam County, WV | 57,177 | $80,154 | $22,363 | 25.2 min |
| Boone County, WV | 21,027 | $57,090 | $66,665 | 29.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lincoln County, West Virginia.
What is the population of Lincoln County, West Virginia?
About 19,902 people live in Lincoln County, West Virginia, in 7,673 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Lincoln County, West Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lincoln County, West Virginia has 45 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 53% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lincoln County, West Virginia?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($105,903 against $46,204), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $770 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Lincoln County, West Virginia have a college degree?
7.4% of adults in Lincoln County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 13), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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