Lincoln County and Its Homes
Lincoln County grew 13 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 98,654 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 39,500 housing units.
Its one incorporated town, Lincolnton, has a page here. About 15 percent of Lincoln County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.
Lincoln County at a Glance
- Population: 98,654 (2025), 87,153 (2020)
- Housing units: about 39,500
- Median year built: 1994 (North Carolina: 1991)
- Built before 1980: 29% (statewide: 34%)
- Detached houses: 74%
- Mobile homes: 15%
- Owner-occupied: 79%
- Heated with electricity: 74% (statewide: 65%)
- Climate zone: 3 (2021 map), 4 (state code)
- Towns with pages here: 1
Census Bureau estimates for Lincoln County (housing: 2020 to 2024).
Towns and Communities in Lincoln County
Lincolnton
12,465 people · power varies by address
Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Lincoln County: Westport (about 2,400 housing units, median year built 2007), Lowesville (about 1,500 housing units, median year built 2001), Denver (about 1,200 housing units), Iron Station and Crouse.
What We Do in Lincoln County
Attic Insulation in Lincoln County
Some 29 percent of Lincoln County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Lincoln County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Lincoln County attics, and a mouse-soiled Lincoln County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 12 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Lincoln County
Some 74 percent of Lincoln County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.
Homes in Lincoln County
Half of Lincoln County's 39,500 housing units were built before 1994: 19 percent before 1970, 29 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 19 percent in 2010 or later. The largest share went up in the 2000s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves.
Lincoln County by type: 74 percent detached houses, 9 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 15 percent mobile homes. In Lincoln County, 74 percent of homes heat with electricity, 18 percent with piped gas and 4 percent with tank gas.
Lincoln County Homes by Year Built
- Before 1940: about 2,060 units, 5% (±1)
- 1940s: about 1,020 units, 3% (±1)
- 1950s: about 1,820 units, 5% (±1)
- 1960s: about 2,720 units, 7% (±1)
- 1970s: about 3,860 units, 10% (±1)
- 1980s: about 5,210 units, 13% (±2)
- 1990s: about 7,350 units, 19% (±2)
- 2000s: about 7,850 units, 20% (±2)
- 2010s: about 5,910 units, 15% (±1)
- 2020 or later: about 1,720 units, 4% (±1)
Climate Across Lincoln County
NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Lincoln County towns, by station: Lincolnton 4 W station (Lincolnton): about 3,330 heating and 1,470 cooling degree days. NOAA's Vale Ag 2 SW station, 11 miles from Lincolnton, has about 3,890 heating and 1,260 cooling degree days.
Power and Gas in Lincoln County
The card lists Lincoln County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.
Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Lincoln County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 18 percent of Lincoln County homes heat with piped gas.
Who Supplies Power in Lincoln County
- Lincolnton's own electric system: parts of Lincolnton
- Duke Energy Carolinas: parts of Lincolnton
- Rutherford EMC: parts of Lincolnton
Energy Programs for Lincoln County Homes
Check each program's current terms for a Lincoln County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.
Programs for Lincoln County
- Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Lincolnton).
- ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Lincolnton).
- Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Lincolnton).
- Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Lincolnton).
- Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Lincoln County address).
- Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Lincoln County address).
- Piedmont Natural Gas lists rebates for high-efficiency gas furnaces, and none for insulation or air sealing (program page).
Lincoln County Insulation FAQs
Do you serve all of Lincoln County?
Yes: Lincolnton and every unincorporated Lincoln County address.
Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Lincoln County?
Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Lincolnton).
Does attic insulation in Lincoln County need a permit?
Ask Lincoln County Building Inspections before work starts. For an address in Lincolnton, the town or city hall can tell you whether Lincoln County's office handles its permits.
Counties Near Lincoln County
Catawba County · Gaston County · Cleveland County · Mecklenburg County · Iredell County · All service areas
Lincoln County, NC
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Insulation Pros in Lincoln County
An insulation contractor serving North Carolina, Lincoln County included.
Send the square footage of your Lincoln County attic, or call (336) 870-3893.