Jobs, pay and daily life in Lincolnton, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Lincolnton is a city in North Carolina with 11,783 residents. The median household earns $46,320 a year and the median rent is $965 a month, which is 25.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,358,370 jobs.
How Lincolnton compares. Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Lincolnton is #86 by population, #90 for household income (#1 = highest), #85 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #21 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Lincoln County, is #19 of 100 counties for average pay ($55,677).
Lincolnton has 11,783 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.1% of the population of North Carolina. It covers 9 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,314 people per square mile. The median age is 37.1, 5% younger than the state median (37.1 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $965 a month (rent plus utilities), 21% below the state median ($965 against $1,228). Over a year that is 25.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $248,700, which is 5.4 times the median household income ($46,320); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 46.2% of households own their home, 31% below the state average (46.2% against 66.6%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area has 1,358,370 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,990 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,990 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (146,340 jobs, median $47,210); transportation and material moving (142,580 jobs, median $40,550); sales and related (139,760 jobs, median $40,880). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (1.4 times) and business and financial operations (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($133,220) and computer and mathematical ($120,930). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Lincoln County was 2.9%. 58.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Lincoln County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.1% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 2.6% walk, 11.7% work from home. 16.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 17% above the state average (16.3% against 13.9%).
24.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33% below the state share (24.0% against 35.6%). 7.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 13% below the state share (7.9% against 9.1%). The poverty rate is 22.6%, 74% above the state rate (22.6% against 13.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 80°F (26.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 38°F (3.3°C). About 1,132 mm (45 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (113 mm) and Feb the driest (75 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Newton (13 miles, rent 13% higher); Gastonia (16 miles, rent 25% higher); Lake Norman of Catawba (16 miles, rent 37% higher); Mount Holly (17 miles, rent 30% higher). Rent differences are against Lincolnton; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Carolina (495) →State guide: North CarolinaCountry guideLincoln CountyNorth Carolina rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 495 federal postings open in North Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in North Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 40,540 | 1.57 | $38,850 | $32,770 | $49,020 | -3% |
| Retail Salespersons | 35,150 | 1.03 | $33,580 | $24,080 | $46,730 | -5% |
| Cashiers | 27,350 | 1.01 | $29,610 | $23,600 | $36,040 | -10% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 27,050 | 0.80 | $28,880 | $22,850 | $37,010 | -7% |
| Registered Nurses | 27,010 | 0.91 | $90,620 | $69,680 | $110,020 | -7% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 26,120 | 1.15 | $44,980 | $31,500 | $62,640 | +0% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 23,250 | 0.94 | $37,440 | $30,090 | $47,490 | +0% |
| Software Developers | 20,820 | 1.41 | $135,920 | $93,690 | $172,360 | -0% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 19,990 | 1.01 | $36,430 | $18,100 | $74,440 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 18,700 | 1.04 | $56,120 | $44,240 | $77,490 | -4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 18,380 | 0.60 | $112,730 | $55,750 | $274,620 | +7% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 16,820 | 1.33 | $92,910 | $59,200 | $167,330 | +11% |
| Office Clerks, General | 16,390 | 0.76 | $44,010 | $28,410 | $62,990 | -2% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 15,910 | 1.47 | $72,500 | $40,000 | $149,460 | +1% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 15,830 | 2.83 | $27,690 | $22,430 | $35,720 | -10% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 14,430 | 1.17 | $37,030 | $29,210 | $45,980 | -1% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 13,980 | 1.27 | $61,850 | $37,590 | $143,990 | -12% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 13,760 | 0.71 | $35,600 | $27,630 | $43,680 | -3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 13,580 | 1.07 | $39,430 | $33,730 | $49,050 | -7% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 13,520 | 0.36 | $33,680 | $26,920 | $41,560 | -6% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 740 | 0.41 | $329,030 | $114,100 | $599,990 | +54% |
| Physicians, All Other | 2,400 | 0.80 | $327,040 | $74,580 | $452,850 | +23% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 910 | 2.00 | $277,550 | $222,510 | $334,180 | +17% |
| Dentists, General | 1,140 | 1.05 | $189,220 | $103,490 | $312,000 | +11% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 8,120 | 1.39 | $176,840 | $119,750 | $305,560 | +1% |
| Financial Managers | 9,290 | 1.26 | $172,760 | $111,000 | $329,110 | +4% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,830 | 0.95 | $169,960 | $125,020 | $256,460 | -1% |
| Marketing Managers | 3,830 | 1.11 | $166,200 | $94,240 | $268,360 | -0% |
| Sales Managers | 5,930 | 1.06 | $162,000 | $76,540 | $311,420 | +9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 2,310 | 1.20 | $158,930 | $99,310 | $292,290 | +6% |
| Lawyers | 5,380 | 0.82 | $157,180 | $61,830 | $371,170 | -2% |
| Managers, All Other | 6,640 | 1.22 | $156,020 | $84,080 | $272,240 | +10% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 2,090 | 2.31 | $151,540 | $97,700 | $206,700 | -35% |
| Pharmacists | 2,530 | 0.90 | $150,580 | $91,770 | $173,930 | +7% |
| Purchasing Managers | 870 | 1.18 | $144,270 | $98,160 | $228,510 | -3% |
| Database Architects | 1,560 | 2.66 | $138,870 | $88,510 | $180,650 | -0% |
| Software Developers | 20,820 | 1.41 | $135,920 | $93,690 | $172,360 | -0% |
| Computer Network Architects | 2,350 | 1.50 | $134,410 | $95,280 | $173,800 | +0% |
| Financial Risk Specialists | 1,880 | 3.37 | $133,530 | $82,840 | $214,540 | +14% |
| Physician Assistants | 1,680 | 1.19 | $133,140 | $99,610 | $169,220 | -2% |
These figures are for the whole Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,990 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 25.1% |
| Education and health care | 19.2% |
| Construction | 9.9% |
| Retail trade | 9.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.3% |
| Public administration | 6.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.5% |
| Other services | 2.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.1% |
| Information | 1.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Lincolnton lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 92,716 | $4,745 million | $51,176 | 28,110 | 2,604 | $55,677 | +2.6% | 2.9% | 47,601 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,995 | 21.1% | $65,257 | 2.16 |
| Retail trade | 3,650 | 15.4% | $31,880 | 1.30 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,667 | 11.2% | $21,484 | 1.04 |
| Construction | 2,199 | 9.3% | $68,644 | 1.49 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,639 | 6.9% | $54,490 | 0.41 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,612 | 6.8% | $52,964 | 0.97 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,401 | 5.9% | $60,650 | 1.18 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,147 | 4.8% | $73,867 | 1.04 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,054 | 4.4% | $82,671 | 0.92 |
| Professional and technical services | 973 | 4.1% | $92,169 | 0.50 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 742 | 3.1% | $42,467 | 0.88 |
| Educational services | 530 | 2.2% | $38,707 | 0.91 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 500 | 2.1% | $29,886 | 1.06 |
| Real estate and rental | 249 | 1.0% | $54,038 | 0.57 |
| Information | 163 | 0.7% | $181,108 | 0.31 |
| Utilities | 157 | 0.7% | $91,877 | 1.47 |
| Management of companies | 37 | 0.2% | $157,532 | 0.08 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 75.1% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 2.6% |
| Work from home | 11.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 16.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,320 |
| Income per person | $30,456 |
| Median gross rent per month | $965 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 25.0% |
| Median home value | $248,700 |
| Homeowners | 46.2% |
| Poverty rate | 22.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 97.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,990 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.99%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 87.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.0% |
| Born abroad | 7.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 58.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.3 | 38 | 76 |
| Feb | 5.2 | 41 | 75 |
| Mar | 9.5 | 49 | 91 |
| Apr | 14.9 | 59 | 92 |
| May | 19.9 | 68 | 103 |
| Jun | 24.5 | 76 | 106 |
| Jul | 26.4 | 80 | 113 |
| Aug | 25.8 | 78 | 111 |
| Sep | 22.2 | 72 | 97 |
| Oct | 15.8 | 60 | 83 |
| Nov | 9.4 | 49 | 86 |
| Dec | 5.3 | 42 | 99 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | NC | 13 mi | 13,333 | $62,015 | $1,091 |
| Gastonia | NC | 16 mi | 82,884 | $64,059 | $1,204 |
| Lake Norman of Catawba | NC | 16 mi | 9,906 | $112,656 | $1,319 |
| Mount Holly | NC | 17 mi | 18,208 | $79,385 | $1,256 |
| Kings Mountain | NC | 18 mi | 12,039 | $49,564 | $959 |
| Lake Norman of Iredell | NC | 18 mi | 12,494 | $173,542 | $1,327 |
| Hickory | NC | 19 mi | 44,258 | $64,576 | $1,063 |
| Cornelius | NC | 20 mi | 32,783 | $113,767 | $1,722 |
| Belmont | NC | 21 mi | 15,546 | $94,883 | $1,365 |
| Huntersville | NC | 21 mi | 63,969 | $120,516 | $1,834 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
11,783 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$965 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 25.0% of the median household income.
$46,320 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.9% (BLS county, Lincoln County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.