Lincoln County, Wisconsin: County Profile

The name of the current Lincoln County Sheriff was not confirmed at a fetched source this session.

The acreage of the Lincoln County Forest could not be confirmed this session.

Merrill is the county seat of Lincoln County, Wisconsin.

Lincoln County was created in 1874.

Lincoln County is named after President Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln County has 878.7 square miles of land area.

Lincoln County had 32.4 residents per square mile of land in 2022.

Lincoln County's county government is located at 1110 E. Main St., Merrill, WI 54452.

The Lincoln County Board meets in the Lincoln County Service Center, Assembly Room 255, 801 North Sales Street, Merrill.

Lincoln County has 729 lakes covering 15,741 acres (24.6 square miles).

USGS GNIS lists 141 named lakes and reservoirs in Lincoln County, twice Marathon County's 69 despite Lincoln's smaller land area.

Rivers in Lincoln County include the Wisconsin, Big Rib, Copper, Little Somo, New Wood, Pine, Prairie, Somo, and Spirit.

Merrill sits at an elevation of 1,263 feet.

Lincoln County does not appear in the 2023 OMB delineation of metropolitan or micropolitan statistical areas.

Lincoln County had a population of 28,415 at the 2020 Census.

Lincoln County had a final official population estimate of 28,637 as of January 1, 2025.

The Census Bureau estimated Lincoln County's July 1, 2024 population at 28,461, from a 2020 estimates base of 28,416.

Lincoln County had a population of 28,743 at the 2010 Census.

Lincoln County's census count peaked at 29,641 in 2000 and declined in both following censuses.

Lincoln County had a population of 21,072 in 1930.

Lincoln County is the 45th most populous county in Wisconsin.

Lincoln County's median age is 49.2 (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate, margin of error +/-0.2), eight years above Marathon County's 41.2.

Lincoln County's natural increase from 2020 to 2023 was -1.7%, ranking 58th in Wisconsin, while net migration was +1.4%, ranking 22nd.

DOA projects Lincoln County's population to fall to 22,915 by 2050, a 19.4% decline from 2020.

DOA projects the share of Lincoln County residents aged 65 and older to rise from 23.6% in 2020 to 31.3% in 2050.

The Town of King was Lincoln County's fastest-growing municipality from 2020 to 2023, adding 21 residents (2.2%).

Lincoln County contains two cities, Merrill and Tomahawk, and 16 towns, with no villages.

The City of Merrill, incorporated in 1883, had a 2020 Census population of 9,347 and a January 1, 2025 estimate of 9,411.

The City of Tomahawk, incorporated in 1891, had a 2020 Census population of 3,441 and a January 1, 2025 estimate of 3,459.

The largest towns in Lincoln County by 2025 estimate are Merrill (2,867), Bradley (2,454), and Pine River (1,887).

The Town of Somo is Lincoln County's smallest municipality, with a 2025 estimate of 129.

The Lincoln County Board of Supervisors has 22 members, one per district, elected April 7, 2026 for the 2026-2028 term.

Don Friske was elected chair of the Lincoln County Board at its April 21, 2026 organizational meeting, and Jesse Boyd was elected vice chair.

Christopher J. Marlowe is the Lincoln County Clerk.

The Lincoln County Board elects three committees by ballot: Administrative and Legislative, County Highway, and the Social Services Board, five members each.

Lincoln County's standing bodies include Finance and Insurance, Land Services, Forestry, Land and Parks, Public Safety, Solid Waste, Public Property, and the Board of Health.

Lincoln County personnel policy lets the Administrative Coordinator approve refilling vacant positions without committee or board review, except in limited circumstances.

The Lincoln County Board meets monthly on the third Tuesday at 6 p.m., with an annual budget meeting scheduled for Nov. 10, 2026 at 9 a.m.

Lincoln County's 2025 audit by CLA received an unmodified opinion, with material adjustments on ARPA spending and nursing home sale revenue.

Lincoln County sold the county-owned Pine Crest Nursing Home to a private company in 2025 over strong public opposition.

In September 2026 the Lincoln County Board approved a Sheriff's Office reorganization that cuts lieutenants from six to five when one of the existing positions next becomes vacant.

The Lincoln County Circuit Court has two judges: Galen Bayne-Allison and Jessica Fehrenbach.

Merrill and Tomahawk share a joint municipal court. Judge Ned Seubert, who has served since 2014, filed non-candidacy papers for 2026.

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office publishes a weekly activity log.

Lincoln County averaged 10,238 jobs in 2023, down 852 (-7.7%) from 2018.

Manufacturing is Lincoln County's largest industry, with 2,317 jobs, or 22.6% of 2023 employment.

Lincoln Windows, a local manufacturer employing over 250 workers, is Lincoln County's largest employer per DWD.

Public administration employment in Lincoln County fell 21.7% from 2018 to 2023, to 819 jobs.

Lincoln County's average unemployment rate in 2023 was 3.2%, above the statewide 3.0%.

Lincoln County's labor force participation rate was 61.8% in 2023, ranking 45th in the state.

Lincoln County's per capita personal income was $55,212 in 2022, below the state average of $63,996.

SAIPE estimates Lincoln County's 2023 median household income at $71,871.

SAIPE estimates 9.9% of Lincoln County residents were in poverty in 2023.

The ACS 2019-2023 median value of owner-occupied homes in Lincoln County is $177,700 (+/-$9,050).

County Business Patterns counted 686 establishments with 8,854 paid employees in Lincoln County in 2023.

Finance and insurance had 27 establishments and 1,015 paid employees in Lincoln County in 2023.

Church Mutual, an insurer established in Merrill in 1897, remains headquartered there.

Lincoln County's 2021 full value assessment was about $2.83 billion.

The Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation markets the county as the 'Gateway to the Northwoods,' north of the Wausau metro area along Highway 51.

A Discover Wisconsin report to the county board said visitor spending in Lincoln County rose 12.59% from 2022 to 2025.

NCES lists 12 public schools in Lincoln County (2023-24).

IMLS lists 2 public library outlets in Lincoln County.

HRSA lists 3 health center service delivery sites in Lincoln County.

Northcentral Technical College operates a Public Safety Center of Excellence in Merrill.

Lincoln County is served by the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Central Wisconsin, which cut 29,000 Meals on Wheels meals in 2025 amid flat funding.

The Wisconsin County Forests Association has its office in the Lincoln County Service Center in Merrill.

Council Grounds State Park lies along the Wisconsin River near the site of Native American encampments, with campsites, trails, a beach, and a boat landing to Lake Alexander.

Lincoln County forest lands include grouse management areas at Camp 26, 4 Mile, Harrison Flowage, and Underdown.

Lincoln County has 6 National Register listings, all in Merrill, including the Lincoln County Courthouse (listed 1978) and the T. B. Scott Free Library (listed 1974).

Between 1964 and 2016, Lincoln County voted for the national presidential winner in every election except 1988.