Home / Home Buying by state / North Carolina / Lincoln County

Buying a home in Lincoln County, North Carolina

The typical owner-occupied home in Lincoln County is worth about $321,000, 11% above the North Carolina median of $288,900 and 4% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,856 a year in property taxes, about 0.58% of their home's value, lower than the North Carolina rate of 0.66%. The median household earns $80,016 a year, so the median home costs 4.0 times the median income (4.0 times for North Carolina). 79% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 60% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Lincoln County at a glance

Lincoln County North Carolina U.S.
Median home value $321,000 $288,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,856 $1,896 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.58% 0.66% 0.94%
Median household income $80,016 $72,388 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 79% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 60% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,618 $1,631 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.4% 19.4% 21.0%
Median rent $1,015 $1,228 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 26.7% 29.5% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1994 1991 1980
Vacant homes 6.8% 12.5% 10.1%
Population 92,716 10,730,404 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Lincoln County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Lincoln County home of $321,000 with 20% down costs about $2,016 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,551, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $86,418 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 30% of the median Lincoln County household income of $80,016; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $297,000.

The median rent here is $1,015 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,001 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$64,200
Loan amount$256,800
Principal and interest$1,728
Property taxes (0.58% a year)$155
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$134
PMI$0
Total per month$2,016

Change the numbers in the calculator

3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$11,235
Loan amount$315,186
Principal and interest$2,120
Property taxes (0.58% a year)$155
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$134
FHA mortgage insurance$142
Total per month$2,551

Change the numbers in the calculator

Questions about home buying in Lincoln County

What is the median home value in Lincoln County?

About $321,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Lincoln County?

Homeowners pay a median $1,856 a year, which is about 0.58% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Lincoln County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,016 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $86,418 a year.

More about Lincoln County

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data