Lincoln County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 35.49, -81.23.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 86th pct · 412th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 82nd pct · 18th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
- 80th pct · 3rd of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $383,492
- 37th pct · 1,928th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 60th pct · 40th of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- 100th pct · 1st of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median -0.4%
- 62nd pct · 525th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 58th pct · 27th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
- 25th pct · 7th of 9 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $1,701
- 77th pct · 741st of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 65th pct · 35th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 20th pct · 9th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median 79,207
- 60th pct · 1,272nd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 73rd pct · 27th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- 20th pct · 9th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $1,230
- 88th pct · 339th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 81st pct · 19th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 5.0
- 100th pct · 1st of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median 5.3
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $403,855 (Aug 2026), +1.8% over one year, +29.2% over five
- 86th pct · 412th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 82nd pct · 18th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
- 80th pct · 3rd of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $383,492
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, NC | $403,855 · +1.8% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,648/mo (Aug 2026), +2.4% over one year; price-to-rent 20.4
- 62nd pct · 525th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 58th pct · 27th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
- 25th pct · 7th of 9 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $1,701
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, NC | $1,648/mo · +2.4% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $2,211 a month on $403,855 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,723 a month: 46.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $403,855 × 80% = $323,084, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $2,211/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,090 × 52 / 12 = $4,723) = 47% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $403,855 / ($1,090 × 52) = 7.1
- price-to-rent = $403,855 / ($1,648 × 12) = 20.4
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
28,744 jobs at 2,796 employers (2026 Q1); 0.0% jobs and -0.5% average weekly wage over the year
- 77th pct · 741st of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 65th pct · 35th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 20th pct · 9th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median 79,207
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, NC | 28,744 jobs · $1,090/wk · 0.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,804 | $1,362 | 2.08 | -1.4% |
| Retail trade | 3,830 | $645 | 1.37 | +6.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,883 | $398 | 1.12 | +0.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,103 | $1,062 | 0.49 | -2.2% |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,734 | $1,031 | 1.06 | +7.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,268 | $1,136 | 1.05 | -9.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 1,153 | $1,487 | 1.05 | +32.5% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,153 | $1,775 | 0.58 | +6.8% |
| Other services | 784 | $769 | 0.91 | +2.6% |
| Educational services | 544 | $814 | 0.88 | -2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 538 | $349 | 1.14 | +13.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 469 | $1,636 | 0.40 | -47.1% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D0 abnormally dry
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
8 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 8, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| GASTON SHOALS RESERVOIR ABOVE BLACKSBURG, SC | 79.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 52 km |
| NINETYNINE ISLAND RES. BELOW CHEROKEE FALLS, SC | 99.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 56 km |
| W. KERR SCOTT RESERVOIR AT DAM NR WILKESBORO, NC | 30.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 72 km |
| LAKE BLALOCK NEAR COWPENS, SC | 710.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 75 km |
| LAKE WILLIAM C. BOWEN NEAR FINGERVILLE, SC | 815.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 85 km |
| NEAL SHOALS RESERVOIR NEAR CARLISLE, SC | 333.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 94 km |
| MONTICELLO RES NR JENKINSVILLE, SC | 422.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 132 km |
| PARR SHOALS RESERVOIR AT PARR, SC | 260.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 137 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
132 gauges · 0 flooding · 8 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 29 stale
Sites found: 132, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| INDIAN CREEK NEAR LABORATORY, NC | flow 13.6 ft³/s | 8 km |
| KILLIAN CREEK NEAR MARIPOSA, NC | flow 6.59 ft³/s | 19 km |
| LONG CREEK NEAR BESSEMER CITY, NC | flow 1.57 ft³/s | 20 km |
| LONG CR TRIB BL HEADWATER NR BESSEMER CITY, NC | flow 0.08 ft³/s · STALE | 21 km |
| LONG CR TRIB AT HEADWATER NR BESSEMER CITY, NC | flow 0.00 ft³/s · STALE | 21 km |
| SOUTH FORK CATAWBA RIVER AT LOWELL, NC | flow 256.0 ft³/s | 25 km |
| CATAWBA R AT RR BRIDGE AB NC 73 AT COWANS FORD, NC | stage 3.50 ft · quality 100 % (2) | 25 km |
| HENRY FORK NEAR HENRY RIVER, NC | flow 56.1 ft³/s | 27 km |
| CATAWBA RIVER DNSTRM DECK MTN IS DAM NR MTN IS, NC | stage 8.10 ft · quality 100 % (2) | 28 km |
| CATAWBA CREEK AT BOOGERTOWN, NC | stage 2.26 ft | 28 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
17 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 17, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-352012081154301 | depth 48.2 ft · 2026-10-05 | 17 km |
| USGS-352012081154302 | depth 42.7 ft · 2026-10-05 | 17 km |
| USGS-353135080524201 | depth 22.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 32 km |
| USGS-353135080524202 | depth 22.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 32 km |
| USGS-353135080524203 | depth 29.1 ft · 2026-10-05 | 32 km |
| USGS-354616081085101 | depth 41.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 32 km |
| USGS-354616081085102 | depth 41.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 32 km |
| USGS-350918081263408 | depth 73.5 ft · 2009-10-05 | 42 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.9 bn in deposits at 19 offices of 10 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,413, moderately concentrated. $603.2 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $600.7 m, contracts $1.3 m), $20,986 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First Federal Savings Bank of Lincolnton | $390.3 m · 21.1% share · 4 offices | |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $321.3 m · 17.3% share · 2 offices | |
| Bank of America, National Association | $261.4 m · 14.1% share · 2 offices | |
| Lincoln, NC | $603.2 m FY2026 · $20,986/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $596.9 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Federal Savings Bank of Lincolnton | $390,348,000 | 21.1% | 4 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $321,316,000 | 17.3% | 2 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $261,445,000 | 14.1% | 2 |
| United Bank | $221,901,000 | 12.0% | 2 |
| Truist Bank | $195,238,000 | 10.5% | 2 |
| Peoples Bank | $190,950,000 | 10.3% | 2 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $172,017,000 | 9.3% | 2 |
| Bank OZK | $89,074,000 | 4.8% | 1 |
| The Fidelity Bank | $6,172,000 | 0.3% | 1 |
| Woodforest National Bank | $4,766,000 | 0.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,413 across 10 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 10 banks with deposits in the county = 21.1² + 17.3² + 14.1² + … (7 more) = 1,413
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $527,096,344 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $68,035,236 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $3,903,712 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,684,363 |
| Department of Agriculture | $1,371,010 |
| Department of Defense | $1,306,695 |
| Department of Transportation | $361,366 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $267,274 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $100,000 |
| Small Business Administration | $488 |
| Department of Justice | -$899,871 |
That is $20,986 per covered job, against 28,744 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $603.2 m / 28,744 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $20,986
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 12.69 | 2026-10-05 | +3.3% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.60 | 2026-10-06 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 6.00 | 2026-09-22 | -14.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 6,830.00 | 2026-08-01 | +7.4% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 96.16 | 2026-09-29 | -3.2% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.28 | 2026-10-01 | +3.6% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 646,347.00 | 2026-08-01 | +1.1% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Lincoln County, NC: 10 findings, 1 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchLincoln County, NC's average weekly wage is -0.5% against a year earlier, a watch level here: average weekly wage below the same quarter a year earlier, before inflation (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.avgWeeklyWage = -0.5 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteLincoln County, NC's typical asking rent rose 0.8% from $1,635 in July 2026 to $1,648 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.8% = (1647.7875000000001 - 1635.3991867536583) / 1635.3991867536583 × 100
- 1647.7875000000001 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1635.3991867536583 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteLincoln County, NC's average weekly wage was 0.5% lower than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- -0.5 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteLincoln County, NC's typical home value of +1.8% ranks 1st of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro, against a median of -0.4%.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro that published home.yoyPct
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteLincoln County, NC's price-to-rent ratio of 20.4 ranks 1st of 9 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro, against a median of 18.2.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 9 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro that published priceToRent
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 10 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.