Lincoln County, West Virginia 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.
-
D
Lincoln County Well below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Lincoln County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $46,204 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,992 | $52,420 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.3% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.5% | 8.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.8% | 5.9% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Lincoln County is about 23% lower than in West Virginia. Income has been growing slower in Lincoln County (3.3%/yr) than in West Virginia (4.3%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Lincoln County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the West Virginia average of 8%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Lincoln County, West Virginia grew by 57.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $46,204 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.3% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Lincoln County
| Metric | Lincoln County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.586 | 0.554 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $61,003 | $61,809 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $42,174 | $47,573 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 30.9% | 23.0% | 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 0.586, higher than West Virginia's 0.554, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 45% more than women's income in Lincoln County, West Virginia. Over a 35-year career, a 45% wage gap accumulates to roughly $659,015 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, West Virginia has narrowed from about 48% to 31% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 28% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $1,894 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Lincoln County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.9% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 7.7% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 31 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 389 people are unemployed in Lincoln County, West Virginia.
The average commute time in Lincoln County is 31 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in West Virginia.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Lincoln County, West Virginia has fallen from 9.9% to 5.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.1% in 2015 and fell as low as 5.4% in 2019.
Lincoln County, WV Wealth 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 income growth: 3.3%/yr, 35% below the local median of 5.0%/yr. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $46,204 against a local median of $57,090, 19% below 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 1.8%/yr on income growth, so Lincoln County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lincoln County, WV 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, WV | 19,902 | $46,204 #6/6 | 3.3%/yr #6/6 | 5.9% #4/6 | 0.586 #6/6 |
| Cabell County, WV | 92,739 | $56,062 | 5.0%/yr | 5.1% | 0.559 |
| Wayne County, WV | 38,164 | $59,127 | 5.7%/yr | 4.9% | 0.533 |
| Logan County, WV | 31,458 | $49,728 | 4.0%/yr | 8.5% | 0.579 |
| Putnam County, WV | 57,177 | $80,154 | 4.5%/yr | 3.1% | 0.530 |
| Boone County, WV | 21,027 | $57,090 | 5.4%/yr | 8.8% | 0.559 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lincoln County, West Virginia has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it about on par with West Virginia, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Lincoln County, West Virginia.
How Rich Is Lincoln County, West Virginia?
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 $46,204, about 23% lower than the West Virginia average of $59,640.
Are incomes growing in Lincoln County, West Virginia?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Lincoln County, West Virginia rose 58%, from $29,295 to $46,204. Over the same years, income here lagged behind West Virginia as a whole: +58% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Lincoln County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Lincoln County, West Virginia was $48,285, down 5% from $51,021 in 2022. The West Virginia median that year was $57,884.
What was the median household income in Lincoln County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Lincoln County, West Virginia was $41,540. By 2024 it had risen 11% to $46,204.
What is the Gini coefficient in Lincoln County, West Virginia?
The Gini coefficient in Lincoln County is 0.586. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Lincoln County, West Virginia?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lincoln County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 48% to 31% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 28% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $1,894 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →