Lincoln County, Wisconsin Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Lincoln County is located in Wisconsin with a total population of 28,426. It is the 45th most populous county out of 72 in Wisconsin. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lincoln County is 49.3 years. This is 23% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lincoln County is $68,164. This is 12% lower than the state median of $77,485. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 10.6%. This is about the same as the state poverty rate of 10.5%. The unemployment rate is 3.2%. This is 3% lower than the state rate of 3.3%. The median home value is $192,700. Housing costs are 28% lower than the state median of $266,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Lincoln County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 67.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Lincoln County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.3%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 5.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 8.0%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 2.9%.

Education

19.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 41% lower than the state rate of 33.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lincoln County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Wisconsin 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.