Lincoln County, North Carolina
County in North Carolina, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,810,[1] making it the most populous "Lincoln County" in the United States. Its county seat is Lincolnton.[2] Lincoln County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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Lincoln County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
| |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina | |
 Interactive map of Lincoln County, North Carolina | |
| Coordinates: 35.49°N 81.23°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1779 |
| Named after | Benjamin Lincoln |
| Seat | Lincolnton |
| Largest community | Lincolnton |
| Area | |
• Total | 304.87 sq mi (789.6 km2) |
| • Land | 295.85 sq mi (766.2 km2) |
| • Water | 9.02 sq mi (23.4 km2) 2.96% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 86,810 |
• Estimate (2025) | 98,654  |
| • Density | 293.4/sq mi (113.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
| Website | www |
History
The county was formed in 1779 from the eastern part of Tryon County, which had been settled by Europeans in the mid-18th Century. It was named for Benjamin Lincoln, a general in the American Revolutionary War."[3] During the American Revolution, the Battle of Ramsour's Mill occurred near a grist mill in Lincolnton.
In 1782 the southeastern part of Burke County was annexed to Lincoln County. In 1841, parts of Lincoln County and Rutherford County were combined to form Cleveland County. In 1842, the northern third of Lincoln County became Catawba County. In 1846, the southern half of what was left of Lincoln County became Gaston County.[3][4]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 304.87 square miles (789.6 km2), of which 295.85 square miles (766.2 km2) is land and 9.02 square miles (23.4 km2) (2.96%) is water.[5]
State and local protected areas
- Mountain Island Educational State Forest (part)
- Pee Wee's Mountain Bike Trail[6]
- Rock Springs Nature Preserve
- South Fork Rail Trail
Major water bodies
- Anderson Creek[7]
- Ballard Creek
- Buffalo Creek
- Catawba River
- Crooked Creek
- Howard Creek
- Hoyle Creek
- Indian Creek
- Killian Creek
- Lake Norman
- Little Indian Creek
- South Fork Catawba River
- Tanyard Creek
Adjacent counties
- Catawba County – north
- Iredell County – northeast
- Mecklenburg County – southeast
- Gaston County – south
- Cleveland County – west
- Burke County – northwest
Major highways
US 321
US 321 Bus.
NC 10
NC 16- NC 16 Bus. (business route)
NC 18
NC 27
NC 27 Truck (truck route)
NC 73
NC 150
NC 155
NC 182
NC 274
Major infrastructure
- Lincoln County Airport[8]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 9,246 | — | |
| 1800 | 12,660 | 36.9% | |
| 1810 | 16,359 | 29.2% | |
| 1820 | 18,147 | 10.9% | |
| 1830 | 22,455 | 23.7% | |
| 1840 | 25,160 | 12.0% | |
| 1850 | 7,746 | −69.2% | |
| 1860 | 8,195 | 5.8% | |
| 1870 | 9,573 | 16.8% | |
| 1880 | 11,061 | 15.5% | |
| 1890 | 12,586 | 13.8% | |
| 1900 | 15,498 | 23.1% | |
| 1910 | 17,132 | 10.5% | |
| 1920 | 17,862 | 4.3% | |
| 1930 | 22,872 | 28.0% | |
| 1940 | 24,187 | 5.7% | |
| 1950 | 27,459 | 13.5% | |
| 1960 | 28,814 | 4.9% | |
| 1970 | 32,682 | 13.4% | |
| 1980 | 42,372 | 29.6% | |
| 1990 | 50,319 | 18.8% | |
| 2000 | 63,780 | 26.8% | |
| 2010 | 78,265 | 22.7% | |
| 2020 | 86,810 | 10.9% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 98,654 | [9] | 13.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12] 1990–2000[13] 2010[14] 2020[1] | |||
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[16] | Pop 1990[17] | Pop 2000[18] | Pop 2010[19] | Pop 2020[20] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 38,156 | 45,359 | 55,290 | 67,139 | 71,661 | 90.05% | 90.14% | 86.69% | 85.78% | 82.55% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,793 | 4,096 | 4,067 | 4,269 | 4,405 | 8.95% | 8.14% | 6.38% | 5.45% | 5.07% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 37 | 118 | 154 | 222 | 237 | 0.09% | 0.23% | 0.24% | 0.28% | 0.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 63 | 164 | 188 | 415 | 692 | 0.15% | 0.33% | 0.29% | 0.53% | 0.80% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [21] | x [22] | 8 | 13 | 15 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 17 | 12 | 57 | 89 | 208 | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.09% | 0.11% | 0.24% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [23] | x [24] | 360 | 880 | 3,180 | x | x | 0.56% | 1.12% | 3.66% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 306 | 570 | 3,656 | 5,238 | 6,412 | 0.72% | 1.13% | 5.73% | 6.69% | 7.39% |
| Total | 42,372 | 50,319 | 63,780 | 78,265 | 86,810 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 86,810 people, 34,306 households, and 24,445 families residing in the county.[25][1]
The median age was 44.2 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.0 males age 18 and over.[25]
The racial makeup of the county was 83.8% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.5% from some other race, and 6.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.4% of the population.[26]
26.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 73.7% lived in rural areas.[27]
There were 34,306 households in the county, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 56.1% were married-couple households, 15.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[25]
There were 37,170 housing units, of which 7.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.7% were owner-occupied and 23.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.4%.[25]
2010 census
At the 2010 census,[28] there were 78,265 people, 30,343 households, and 22,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.76 people per square mile (101.07 people/km2). There were 33,641 housing units at an average density of 112.51 units per square mile (43.44 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.4% White, 5.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 6.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 30,343 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.4 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,456, and the median income for a family was $48,298. Males had a median income of $41,441 versus $30,480 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,861. About 10.4% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, as well as 25.3% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Lincoln County is heavily Republican and the last Democratic presidential candidate to win it was Jimmy Carter in 1976, who won it by 58.37%.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 49 | 2.03% | 1,280 | 53.11% | 1,081 | 44.85% |
| 1916 | 1,369 | 47.22% | 1,521 | 52.47% | 9 | 0.31% |
| 1920 | 3,137 | 48.50% | 3,331 | 51.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 2,658 | 47.39% | 2,909 | 51.86% | 42 | 0.75% |
| 1928 | 3,930 | 57.43% | 2,913 | 42.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 3,563 | 44.56% | 4,399 | 55.02% | 34 | 0.43% |
| 1936 | 3,501 | 38.83% | 5,515 | 61.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 3,099 | 38.74% | 4,901 | 61.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 3,678 | 46.88% | 4,168 | 53.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 3,635 | 43.49% | 3,570 | 42.71% | 1,153 | 13.80% |
| 1952 | 6,228 | 53.61% | 5,389 | 46.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 6,637 | 53.20% | 5,838 | 46.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 6,816 | 50.32% | 6,728 | 49.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 5,869 | 44.55% | 7,304 | 55.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 6,188 | 46.20% | 4,044 | 30.19% | 3,161 | 23.60% |
| 1972 | 8,597 | 61.88% | 5,100 | 36.71% | 195 | 1.40% |
| 1976 | 6,682 | 41.22% | 9,462 | 58.37% | 66 | 0.41% |
| 1980 | 9,009 | 52.39% | 7,796 | 45.34% | 391 | 2.27% |
| 1984 | 12,621 | 67.64% | 5,996 | 32.13% | 42 | 0.23% |
| 1988 | 11,651 | 64.26% | 6,444 | 35.54% | 35 | 0.19% |
| 1992 | 11,018 | 49.29% | 8,150 | 36.46% | 3,187 | 14.26% |
| 1996 | 11,439 | 54.86% | 7,721 | 37.03% | 1,690 | 8.11% |
| 2000 | 15,951 | 65.03% | 8,412 | 34.29% | 166 | 0.68% |
| 2004 | 20,052 | 67.79% | 9,434 | 31.89% | 93 | 0.31% |
| 2008 | 23,631 | 66.01% | 11,713 | 32.72% | 454 | 1.27% |
| 2012 | 25,267 | 68.71% | 11,024 | 29.98% | 484 | 1.32% |
| 2016 | 28,806 | 71.97% | 9,897 | 24.73% | 1,320 | 3.30% |
| 2020 | 36,341 | 72.37% | 13,274 | 26.43% | 602 | 1.20% |
| 2024 | 40,183 | 72.29% | 14,842 | 26.70% | 557 | 1.00% |
Law and government
Lincoln County is governed by a five-member county board of commissioners, a seven-member school board, and five supervisors on the water and soil conservation district. The county's judiciary is represented by two superior court judges and six circuit court judges. Other offices include the district attorney, county clerk, sheriff, and register of deeds.
Every countywide office is held by a Republican, and the only Democratic official that holds office in the county is Lincolnton Mayor Ed Hatley, who has been the city's mayor since 2015.
In 2018, former Lincolnton city council member Mary Frances White became the first African American elected official in the county's history.[30] She served one term on the city council for ward one, and ran for re-election in 2022, but lost to Kevin Demeny by 334 votes.[31]
Lincoln County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments.[32]
Office Holders
Board of Education
Source:[33]
| District[34] | Member | Party | Last elected | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District at-large | Tony A. Jenkins | Republican | 2022 | 2026 |
| District at-large | Erin A. Long | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
| District 1 | Brandi A. Wyant | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
| District 2 | Fred E. Jarrett, Jr. | Republican | 2022 | 2026 |
| District 3 | Christina H. Sutton (Chairperson) | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
| District 4 | Kevin H. Sanders | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
| District 5 | Krista S. Heavner (Vice- Chairperson) | Republican | 2022 | 2026 |
There are seven members, two of which become chair, and vice-chair of the board. There are five individual districts, and two at-large districts, but all seven board members are elected countywide with four-year terms.
On August 5, 2021, The North Carolina General Assembly ratified House Bill 244 / SL 2021-99 which went into effect in the beginning of 2022, changing the election method for the Lincoln County Board of Education from non-partisan to partisan.[35]
County Board of Commissioners
Source:[36]
| Commissioner | Party | Last elected | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Lineberger (Chairperson) | Republican | 2022 | December 2026 |
| Bud Cesena (Vice-chairperson) | Republican | 2022 | December 2026 |
| Mark Mullen | Republican | 2024 | December 2028 |
| Trent Carpenter | Republican | 2024 | December 2028 |
| Alex Patton | Republican | 2024 | December 2028 |
| Jennifer Farmer (Clerk to the Board) |
Commissioners serve four-year terms.
Soil and Water Conservation
Source:[37]
| Seat | Supervisor | Most Recent Status | Elected or appointed | Calculated Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tommy Houser | Active | Appointed | December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2026 |
| 2 | George Sain | Active | Elected | December 1, 2024 to November 30, 2028 |
| 3 | Leonard Keever | Active | Elected | December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2026 |
| 4 | Sean Nesbit | Active | Elected | December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2026 |
| 5 | Patty Dellinger | Active | Appointed | December 1 2024 to November 30, 2028 |
Members of the water and soil conservation serve a four year term, no term limits. Three are elected and two are appointed by the state commission.
This is the only elected office in the county that is non-partisan.
Other Offices
Source:[38]
| Office | Holder | Party | Last elected | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk of Court[39] | Fred Hatley | Republican | 2022 | December 2026 |
| District Attorney[40] | Mike Miller | Republican | 2022 | December 2026 |
| Register of Deeds [41] | Danny R. Hester | Republican | 2022 | December 2026 |
| Sheriff[42] | Bill Beam | Republican | 2022 | December 2026 |
These officials are elected and serve four year terms.
Judicial
District Court
Source:[43]
| Seat | Judge | Party | Last elected | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat 1[44] | Micah J. Sanderson | Republican | 2022 | 2026 |
| Seat 2 | Brittany Waters Padgett | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
| Seat 3 | Jeanette R. Reeves | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
| Seat 4 | J. Brad Champion | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
| Seat 5 | Jamie Hodges | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
| Seat 6 | Justin K. Brackett | Republican | 2024 | 2028 |
District Court Judges are elected, and serve four year terms.[45]
Superior Court
| Seat | Judge | Party | Last elected | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sally Kirby-Turner | Republican | 2024 | December 2032 |
| 2 | W. Todd Pomeroy | Republican | 2024 | December 2032 |
Lincoln County is in the 39th Superior Court District. It consists of both Lincoln and Cleveland County.[48]
Judges are elected, and serve eight year terms.[49]
General Assembly
Lincoln County is currently represented by the 97th House District, and 44th Senate District in the North Carolina General Assembly.[52]
North Carolina House of Representatives
Source:[53]
| District | Holder | Party | Last elected | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97th | Heather Rhyne | Republican | 2025 | 2027 |
North Carolina's 97th House district is entirely limited to Lincoln County and has been since 2003. The district overlaps with the 44th state senate district.
Current representative Heather Rhyne has represented the district since 2024. She is a former member and chairperson of the Lincoln County Board of Education. In 2024, She was selected by the Lincoln County GOP Executive Committee to fill out the remainder of former State House Rep. Jason Saine’s unexpired term. Saine who's served the single county house district since 2011 decided to resign on July 15, 2024, after the North Carolina General Assembly was unable to pass a budget update for the 2024 session despite the GOP having the supermajority at the time.[54] In November 2024, Rhyne ran unopposed and easily won her first election in the district with 43,332 votes.[55]
North Carolina Senate
Source:[56]
| District | Holder | Party | Last elected | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44th | Ted Alexander | Republican | 2024 | 2027 |
The 44th district has covered all of Lincoln, and Cleveland counties, along with northwest Gaston county since 2019. The district overlaps with the 97th, 110th, and 111th state house districts.
Current representative Ted Alexander has represented the district since 2019. Alexander previously served two terms as mayor of Shelby, North Carolina as well as chair of the Cleveland County Republican Party.[57][58] He won his first election in November 2018 with 68.5% of the vote against Democratic opponent David Lattimore who received 31.15% of the vote.[59] Alexander won his most recent election in 2024 with 72.50% of the vote against Democratic opponent Henry Herzberg who received 27.50% of the vote.[60]
Federal Representatives
Source:[61]
United States House of Representatives
Source:[62]
| District | Holder | Party | Incumbent since | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | Pat Harrigan | Republican | 2025 | 2027 |
All of Lincoln County is represented in congress by the 10th congressional district.
United States Senate
Source:[63]
| Holder | Party | Incumbent since | Term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thom Tillis | Republican | 2015 | 2027 |
| Ted Budd | Republican | 2023 | 2029 |
Controversy
In February 2020, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department received media attention when surveillance video was released showing first a pair of Atrium Health security guards assaulting a sixteen-year-old boy brought to the hospital's emergency room. When another pair of sheriff's deputies arrived, video shows one of the deputies hitting the boy, now handcuffed, in the face twice as the boy spit blood pooling in his mouth after being tackled from behind by security guards. The deputy then aggressively approached the mother, yelling at her before being pulled to the ground by a second deputy, In an interview with WBTV, Lincoln County Sheriff Bill Beam defended his deputies saying they did nothing wrong, denying that the officer struck the boy or that the officer was physically restrained by two additional sheriff's deputies.[64] The boy was arrested and charged with felony assault on a police officer.[65]
Education
Post-secondary education
- Gaston College - Community College located in Dallas, North Carolina with a satellite campus in Lincolnton offering associate degree, Certificate, and Diploma programs.[66]
Lincoln County Schools
There is one school district in the county: Lincoln County Schools.[67]
- Comprehensive high schools
Charter schools
- Lincoln Charter School
Former Schools
- Newbold High School (1952-1968), a segregated school that served African Americans and became G. E. Massey Elementary School in 1968 after desegregation
- Oaklawn High School (segregated school serving African Americans), replaced by Newbold High School in 1952
Communities
City
- Lincolnton (county seat and largest community)
Town
- Boger City (former town)
- Maiden (part)
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Flay
- Laboratory
- Laurel Hill
- Polkadot
- Reepsville
- Toluca (part)
- Vale
Townships
- Catawba Springs
- Howards Creek
- Ironton
- Lincolnton
- North Brook
