Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 10,117, settled in 1965.
Lincoln City earns a D−, 130th among Oregon's 142 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $57K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. It reports more crime per resident than 85% of U.S. towns, including 41 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. 36% of working residents work locally in Lincoln City, against 9.5% in Oregon’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 3 of Oregon’s 228 towns score lower on cost of living. Lincoln City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Where Lincoln City beats most towns.
7,930 counted in 2010 and 9,815 in 2020; an estimated 10,117 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Lincoln City is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 93% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 3%), so the D− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,400 in 1960, 9,815 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 3 maps from 1941 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lincoln City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Lincoln City.
Lincoln City is a second-home town, has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Oregon and has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 3.7 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 105 Oregon towns.
The biggest place to walk is The Knoll Open Space, 100 acres with 1 miles of trail. 22 miles of trail in 23 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Lincoln City: 23, covering 488 acres.
| Lincoln City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 3.7 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Spyglass Ridge Open Space | 1.8 mi | 73 |
| 2. Cutler Wetlands Open Space | 1.1 mi | 34 |
| 3. The Knoll Open Space | 1 mi | 100 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The largest public high school is Taft High School, with 535 students. The public schools here belong to Lincoln County SD. Two of the 6 schools are below, and why each made the list.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taft Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 464 | – |
| Taft High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 535 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 376 to 216 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Lincoln City’s property offense rate is 17.4 per 1,000 residents. Among 75 Oregon towns, just 5 have a higher violent crime rate than Lincoln City.
| Lincoln City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.4 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Paid flood insurance claims in Lincoln City since 1979: 44. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in just over three quarters of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2020, has brought federal aid to Lincoln City households.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Otis 2 Ne weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 66.5°, cooler than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.7°.
The town’s peak summer temperature comes in at 67°F. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 7 have a higher January low than Lincoln City. It almost never snows.
| Lincoln City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 67°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 36°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Lincoln City, the average trip to work is 17 minutes. The top destinations are Portland (9%), Newport (5%) and Salem (5%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 25 miles.
| Lincoln City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 7,906 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lincoln City’s, it is healthier than 68%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
27% of Lincoln City adults have been diagnosed with depression. Against the Oregon average, Lincoln City comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 9. Two figures for adults in the town: 39% have high blood pressure, 76% had a checkup this year.
| Lincoln City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 72% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Lincoln City | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.6% | 71.4% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.1% | 84% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 7.8 years of the Newport area’s $63K median household income, the typical home (about $495K) costs more against local pay than in 91% of Oregon towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
Homes sold in Lincoln City spent a median 43 days on the market. For households locally, the share who live in a home they own is 59%. In Lincoln City, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,314 a month.
| Lincoln City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,314 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Lincoln City; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Lincoln City residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Oregon.
3.6% of the town is conserved land, across 23 parks and preserves.
City in Oregon, United States
Lincoln City is a city in Lincoln County on the Oregon Coast of the United States, between Tillamook to the north and Newport to the south. It is named after the county, which was named in honor of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The population was at 9,815 in the 2020 Census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Lincoln City.
| Town | OR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln City | #130 | D− | D− | C− | C+ | C+ |
| Neotsu | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Neotsu isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lincoln City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lincoln City grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #130 of 142 in Oregon. It grades C+ for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. That is 7.8 years of the area's median household income ($63,165 across the Newport, OR area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.