Is Lincoln a good place to live?
Lincoln’s best subject grades are an A+ for the outdoors and an A for civic life; its weakest is a D for health. Only 9 of Wisconsin’s 874 towns score lower on health. Lincoln's schools rank behind 85% of the state's. On hazard risk, just 52 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. 31% of the land in Lincoln is conserved, against 3.8% in Wisconsin’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Forest County Forest, 11,789 acres with 27.4 miles of trail. On the outdoors, just 15 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Lincoln has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lincoln stand out
Where Lincoln beats most towns.
1,167 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Lincoln grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Lincoln is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Lincoln: who provides what
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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lincoln.
Lincoln has 2.1 jobs for every working resident, and 872 people commute in
About one in 5 of Lincoln’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Lincoln has added 200 jobs, to 968 in 2023. 12% of residents live below the poverty line in Lincoln, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 6.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
| Lincoln | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Lincoln faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 95% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, more of Lincoln’s adults smoke cigarettes
20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Lincoln. Lincoln beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 33% of adults get no exercise outside work in Lincoln.
| Lincoln | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Lincoln | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 6.5% |
| More smokers | 19.6% | 13.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.1% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lincoln has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
68 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Lincoln’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Forest County Forest | 27.4 mi | 11,789 |
| 2. Crandon Ribbed Fen State Natural Area | — | 95 |
| 3. Veteran's Memorial County Park | — | 62 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A typical July afternoon in Lincoln is cooler than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
The July high in Lincoln is 77°F. Lincoln has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Everything we know about Lincoln
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lincoln; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Lincoln residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Every workday, about 872 people come to Lincoln for work
Where Lincoln’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Lincoln
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Lincoln is a town in Forest County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,133 at the 2020 census. The ghost town of Keith was located within Lincoln.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 63 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,660 ft
Questions about Lincoln
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lincoln, WI expensive?
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 A−.