HomeWest VirginiaLincoln County
Lincoln County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Lincoln County, West Virginia has a population of 19,902 across 437 square miles, down 5.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $333.4 m in 2024, 172 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $6.0 m.
108 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lincoln County
How many people live in Lincoln County
- Population19,902
- Households7,673
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$46,205
- Median age44.1
- Median gross rent$771 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$105,300
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher8.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree2.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,071
- Population under 184,488
- Share under 1822.6 percent
- Population 65 and over4,180
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,234
- Civilian labor force6,548
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over42.5 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties31st of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1887th
Lincoln County is the 31st largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.6 percent against 21.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lincoln County
Is Lincoln County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.29 percent
- Census 2020 base population20,460
- Births, 2024185
- Deaths, 2024362
- Natural change, 2024-177
- Net domestic migration, 2024-146
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024-145
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-318
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3002nd
The county has lost 5.29 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lincoln County
Where people moving to Lincoln County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving293
- People arriving, from those returns564
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$39,034
- Largest single originLincoln County Non-migrants (6,055 households)
- Largest single destination (6,055 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County Non-migrants | 6,055 | 13,612 | $312.5 m |
| Kanawha County | 72 | 139 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 71 | 149 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 47 | 93 | $1.8 m |
| Cabell County | 40 | 72 | $1.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 32 | 68 | $1.2 m |
| Logan County | 29 | 49 | $1.1 m |
| Boone County | 25 | 49 | $671,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lincoln County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lincoln County
What the Lincoln County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$333.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$309.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.7 percent
- GDP change over five years34.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties47th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2649th
- GDP per resident$16,751
Output grew 7.7 percent in the latest year and 34.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lincoln County
Who employs people in Lincoln County
- Covered employment, annual average2,423
- Establishments reporting340
- Average annual pay$42,630
- Average weekly wage$820
- Sector 44-45, employment279
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$25,870
- Sector 23, employment224
- Sector 23, average annual pay$78,745
- Sector 48-49, employment70
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$49,352
- Sector 81, employment59
- Sector 81, average annual pay$45,164
- Sector 21, employment47
- Sector 56, employment30
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 279 | 44 | $25,870 |
| Sector 23 | 224 | 28 | $78,745 |
| Sector 48-49 | 70 | 10 | $49,352 |
| Sector 81 | 59 | 22 | $45,164 |
| Sector 21 | 47 | 4 | $62,792 |
| Sector 56 | 30 | 14 | $28,289 |
| Sector 54 | 28 | 20 | $57,414 |
| Sector 51 | 23 | 7 | $79,975 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 279 jobs, 11.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lincoln County
What businesses operate in Lincoln County
- Establishments, all industries172
- Employment at those establishments1,612
- Annual payroll$60.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents8.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lincoln County
What is being built in Lincoln County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202412
- Declared construction value permitted$1.6 m
- Single family units authorised12
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$132,667
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.6
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lincoln County
How much SBA lending happens in Lincoln County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,209,200
- Median 7(a) approval$54,600
- 10th percentile approval$14,000
- 90th percentile approval$5,000,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)233
- Jobs per approval46.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSeptic Tank and Related Services (2)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (3)
The average approval of $1,209,200 sits well above the median of $54,600, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 20.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lincoln County
Do SBA loans in Lincoln County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lincoln County
Which parts of Lincoln County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- Branchland, approvals1
- BARBOURSVILLE, approvals1
- ALUM CREEK, approvals1
- Yawkey, approvals1
- West Hamlin, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Branchland | 1 | $50,000 |
| BARBOURSVILLE | 1 | $927,400 |
| ALUM CREEK | 1 | $14,000 |
| Yawkey | 1 | $54,600 |
| West Hamlin | 1 | $5,000,000 |
Branchland accounts for 1 approvals against 1 in BARBOURSVILLE. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lincoln County
How big is Lincoln County
- Land area437 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties24th of 55
- Width, east to west26.5 mi
- Height, north to south29.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land46
- Establishments per square mile0.39
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Lincoln County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lincoln County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population19,902
- Households7,673
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$46,205
- Median age44.1
Common questions
Lincoln County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lincoln County, West Virginia?
19,902, in 7,673 households, ranking 31st of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lincoln County growing?
The population has fallen 5.29 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 185 births against 362 deaths, with net migration of -145. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lincoln County?
$46,205. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $105,300, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $771 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lincoln County?
172 establishments, employing 1,612 people with an annual payroll of $60.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Lincoln County?
Average annual pay is $42,630, or $820 a week, across 2,423 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lincoln County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $6.0 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $54,600. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Lincoln County?
12 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lincoln County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lincoln County come from?
The largest single origin is Lincoln County Non-migrants, with 6,055 households. Arriving households report an average income of $39,034 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lincoln County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lincoln County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.