Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Lincoln earns a C−, 131st among Alabama's 187 graded towns, mostly because of safety and health. Its police reported 26 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 80% of U.S. towns. Residents are less healthy than 78% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. One bright spot: a typical home costs about $230K, 4 years of the Talladega area’s $58K median household income. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. Lincoln's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns. Talladega County High School is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Lincoln beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Lincoln is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 498 in 1920, 6,845 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and a map from 1972 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lincoln, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Lincoln.
Lincoln trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
Reported crimes fell from 220 to 156 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Lincoln’s violent crime rate is 3.2 per 1,000 residents, where Alabama’s towns sit at 2.9 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Lincoln reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 80% report less. Within Alabama, it does better than 49% of towns.
| Lincoln | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.2 per 1,000 residents | 17 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Talladega County school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Lincoln High School, with 607 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 902 | B |
| Lincoln High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 607 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Against the 8,070 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lincoln’s, it is less healthy than 61%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Alabama it is less healthy than 56% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
44% of adults have obesity in Lincoln, above both Alabama’s towns (39%) and U.S. towns (35%). 43% of Lincoln adults sleep under 7 hours. Lincoln tracks Alabama closely on all 32 CDC measures.
| Lincoln | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 12% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lincoln has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Lincoln’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 2,305 in 2013 to 3,622.
Most working residents leave Lincoln for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Lincoln grew to 3,622 in 2023, 1,317 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Birmingham (10%), Pell City (9%) and Talladega (6%).
| Lincoln | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Alabama average. Lincoln has grown 18% since 2020, to 8,110 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 19% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Lincoln.
| Lincoln | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 19% | 23% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.4 points. Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women.
| Lincoln | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.1% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.1% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.8% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.8% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.1% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.9% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 9.2% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.9% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lincoln.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Homes are within reach (about $230K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lincoln. Close and well known come first.
3 mi MuseumInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame
39 mi Stadium & arenaProtective Stadium
20 mi MountainCheaha Mountain
38 mi MuseumSloss Furnaces
40 mi Stadium & arenaLegacy Arena
33 mi WaterfallNoccalula Falls ParkInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame: BWard 1997, CC BY 4.0 · Protective Stadium: Unknown, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cheaha Mountain: Amann09 (talk · contribs), Public domain · Sloss Furnaces: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Legacy Arena: AuburnShuffle, CC0 · Noccalula Falls Park: Thejammer (talk), Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lincoln
About 3 of every 100 Lincoln residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
City in Alabama, United States
Lincoln is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1911. At the 2020 census, the population was 6,845. It was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, who served in the American army during the Revolutionary War. The Talladega Superspeedway, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Talladega Municipal Airport are all located in Lincoln.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lincoln grades C− overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #131 of 187 in Alabama. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Alabama, it does better than 49% of towns.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
