Lincoln County, West Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Lincoln County is located in West Virginia with a total population of 20,170. It is the 31st most populous county out of 55 in West Virginia. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lincoln County is 44.0 years. This is 3% higher than the state median of 42.7 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lincoln County is $48,593. This is 16% lower than the state median of $57,917. It is also 38% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 20.6%. This is 24% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.6%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 6.1%. This is 7% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $103,400. Housing costs are 34% lower than the state median of $155,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Lincoln County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 74.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

Lincoln County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 0.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 2.0%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 0.8%.

Education

8.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 64% lower than the state rate of 23.3%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 81.8%.

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 West Virginia 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.