LincolnWI
A town of 2,144. 27% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Lincoln a good place to live?
Lincoln’s best subject grades are an A− for incomes and schools and an A for civic life; its weakest is a D for walkability. Lincoln’s median age is 56.5 years, against 42.1 years in Wisconsin’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Only 55 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on walkability. The biggest place to walk is Amery Environmental Education Area, 50 acres with 1.6 miles of trail. 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.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
99% of working residents leave Lincoln for work
Where Lincoln’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
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.
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, fewer of Lincoln’s working residents work locally
0.8% of working residents work locally in Lincoln, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 8.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. 2.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Lincoln. The top destinations are Amery (17%), St.
| Lincoln | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.4% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 15% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Lincoln
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
More middle-aged adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 49% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide). 13% of Lincoln residents are under 18. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Lincoln | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 13% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 32% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Lincoln | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.3% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 26.8% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.1% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.4% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.8% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.5% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.6% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.1% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,100, single groups can be off by several points
Lincoln stands out in Wisconsin and nationally, with fewer of its adults who sleep under 7 hours
Only 6 of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Lincoln. Lincoln beats the Wisconsin average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3.
| Lincoln | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Lincoln | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.2% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.6% | 9.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In Lincoln, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lincoln has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Lincoln’s July high is 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Lincoln | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Amery Environmental Education Area | 1.6 mi | 50 |
| 2. York Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lincoln. Close and well known come first.
15 mi National park siteLower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway799K visitors a year
18 mi MuseumFranconia Sculpture Park
29 mi MuseumWashington County Historical Society, Minnesota
30 mi AttractionStillwater Overlook15 mi National park siteSaint Croix National Scenic Riverway852K visitors a year
38 mi MuseumBruentrup Heritage FarmPhoto credits
Lower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Franconia Sculpture Park: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Washington County Historical Society, Minnesota: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Stillwater Overlook: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bruentrup Heritage Farm: Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0
Everything we know about Lincoln
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lincoln; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Lincoln residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Lincoln
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Lincoln is a town in Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,099 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Deronda is located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 38 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,119 ft
Lincoln’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Lincoln.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | — | — | B+ | — | A− | B+ |
| Amery | #55 | A | C+ | A− | A− | B+ |
| Garfield | — | — | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
| Apple River | — | — | B− | — | B | B |
| Clayton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Black Brook | — | — | C+ | — | B | B |
Lincoln, Garfield, Apple River and Black Brook have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Lincoln, Garfield, Apple River and Black Brook report no FBI crime data of their own. Clayton isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lincoln with a neighbor →
Questions about Lincoln
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lincoln, WI a good place to live?
27% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
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 B+.