Population 24,504 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lincoln County
Household size in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Lincoln County run a little small, averaging 2.54 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.49, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.3 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.2 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
At 41.2, the median age in Lincoln County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.3, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Lincoln County (14.4%), above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 3.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Lincoln County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Kentucky counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Lincoln County
Renters in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.7% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.6% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 23.6% of households in Lincoln County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 49.4% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Lincoln County than nationally: 11.3%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Lincoln County is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $565 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $621 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $685 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $765 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$200 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Lincoln County costs $765 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $200 a month since 2006–10, up 35%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.3% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Lincoln County
Bachelor's degrees in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Lincoln County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 4.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.1% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.1% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.4% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.4% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.3 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Lincoln County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 10.3 points, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Lincoln County
| Period | Lincoln County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Lincoln County: 7.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Lincoln County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 2.54 | 41.2 | 14.4% | 23.6% | 11.3% | 1987 | $765 | 15.7% | 83.4% | 7.1% |
| Casey County | 2.40 | 43.8 | 10.7% | 20.3% | 13.3% | 1984 | $655 | 12.4% | 79.8% | 8.6% |
| Rockcastle County | 2.45 | 43.8 | 10.4% | 25.7% | 11.8% | 1988 | $703 | 14.4% | 83.9% | 4.7% |
| Marion County | 2.50 | 40.7 | 12.6% | 22.3% | 9.4% | 1985 | $717 | 15.6% | 87.3% | 4.0% |
| Jackson County | 2.59 | 41.3 | 8.2% | 22.6% | 12.8% | 1991 | $788 | 9.5% | 76.2% | 4.4% |
| Taylor County | 2.54 | 37.9 | 11.3% | 31.2% | 9.0% | 1982 | $745 | 22.1% | 87.8% | 6.2% |
| Lee County | 2.40 | 43.4 | 11.9% | 22.3% | 17.2% | 1985 | $548 | 9.2% | 75.6% | 5.8% |
| Owsley County | 2.51 | 47.4 | 8.9% | 29.9% | 23.4% | 1991 | $515 | 7.4% | 68.5% | 14.3% |
| Larue County | 2.50 | 42.2 | 11.5% | 20.6% | 10.2% | 1983 | $896 | 15.7% | 86.4% | 1.2% |
| Breathitt County | 2.40 | 43.4 | 12.1% | 23.4% | 16.9% | 1990 | $577 | 16.2% | 80.7% | 9.3% |
| Grayson County | 2.63 | 40.6 | 10.7% | 25.4% | 18.7% | 1987 | $731 | 16.1% | 84.7% | 6.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Gladwin County, MI · Scurry County, TX · Scott County, VA · Scott County, TN · Hale County, TX · Greene County, IN · Greenbrier County, WV · Grant County, NM · Grant County, KY · Grant County, AR
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Lincoln County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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