Lincoln County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Lincoln County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 35,617. It is the 43rd most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 8 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lincoln County is 43.0 years. This is 11% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lincoln County is $63,115. This is 6% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 20% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 12.4%. This is 10% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 3.9%. This is 19% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $209,100. Housing costs are 19% lower than the state median of $256,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 77.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Lincoln County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 85.2% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 5.8%. The Black or African American population (5.8%) is well below the state average of 15.7%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

19.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 37% lower than the state rate of 30.4%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 87.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lincoln County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Tennessee and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.