City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Lincoln, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lincoln - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

51,629
Residents
$108,108
Median income
$628,500
Median home
$1,550
Median rent (state)

Lincoln - the verdict

Nationally, Lincoln sits in the 82nd percentile for household income and the 78th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

82nd
percentile, household income
90th
percentile, home value
61st
percentile, median rent
78th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Lincoln, CA

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 51,629 residents in Lincoln, a small city within California. The typical household in Lincoln brings in $108,108 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 6.2%. Typical homes in Lincoln are valued around $628,500, and the median resident age is 43.7 years. About 38.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 51.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 601 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 131% from five years earlier. Lincoln reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 657.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,550 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 80.9 out of 100 (High).

Population

51,629 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$108,108 /yr

Poverty 6.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Lincoln compare to other US cities?

Lincoln measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 82% higher than other cities
Home value 90% pricier than other cities
Median rent 61% pricier than other cities
Safety 78% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just California and the picture shifts: Lincoln ranks #22 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Lincoln against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

California-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Lincoln toward the bottom of California's cities

Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Lincoln ranks #1,034 - the 25th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Lincoln only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#425 of 1,338
68th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1,034 of 1,458
25th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#541 of 1,343
60th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#746 of 1,450
48th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#460 of 1,458
68th percentile in California

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

82ndIncome percentile
78thSafety percentile

82nd percentile nationally for median household income · 78th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Lincoln's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Lincoln's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 62 Avg. percentile National median
Lincoln's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Lincoln's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$628,500 10th percentile more affordable than 10% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Lincoln $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Lincoln, CA Lincoln, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lincoln, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lincoln, CA median $108,108/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Lincoln, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lincoln, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
51,629
Median Income
$108,108
Median Home Value
$628,500
Median Age
43.7
Poverty Rate
6.2%
Labor force participation
51.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
657.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
96.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
561.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
15
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
45,000 residents50,000 residents55,000 residents60,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 49,969 residents 57,367 residents ▲ +14.8%
Lincoln's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
601
housing units authorized
Single-Family
585
detached homes
Multifamily
16
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
11.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 260
2020 546
2021 1,016
2022 826
2023 627
2024 601

Permit volume increased 131% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
72.6%
Carpool
5.8%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
18.4%
Other
2.0%

Based on 20,723 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lincoln sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,550/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
80.9 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Palm Desert
51,551 people
Glendora
51,350 people
Aliso Viejo
51,320 people
Watsonville
51,968 people
Cathedral City
52,047 people
Placentia
52,384 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lincoln's 51,629 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

West New York, NJ
51,683 people
Dunwoody, GA
51,563 people
Levittown, NY
51,557 people
Catalina Foothills, AZ
51,756 people
Harrisonburg, VA
51,492 people
La Crosse, WI
51,791 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lincoln's $108,108 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Hinton, IA
$108,125 median income
Ames, NY
$108,125 median income
Mount Gretna, PA
$108,125 median income
Scurry, TX
$108,125 median income
Boyce, VA
$108,125 median income
Hyde Park, UT
$108,068 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lincoln, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Lincoln, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 72.3% 7.3% 13.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19.0% White 72.3% Black or African American 1.7% Asian 7.3% American Indian 0.8% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 4.6% Two or more races 13.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Lincoln compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Lincoln (this city) 51,629 $108,108
Palm Desert 51,551 $79,508
Glendora 51,350 $111,915
Aliso Viejo 51,320 $137,970
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lincoln, CA?

What is the population of Lincoln, CA? +

51,629 people live in Lincoln, CA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lincoln, CA? +

The median household income in Lincoln is $108,108 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lincoln? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lincoln; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Lincoln, CA safe? +

Lincoln has a total crime rate of 657.2 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Lincoln, CA? +

Lincoln's median home value sits at $628,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.