COUNTY REPORT NC

Lincoln County, North Carolina

8 ZIP codes · Avg score 58/100 · Grade C · Updated

ZipCheckup grade for Lincoln County: C.

A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.

Lincoln County shows moderate water quality across its 8 ZIP codes - some areas carry violations worth monitoring.

How Lincoln County Compares

Lincoln County58/100
North Carolina avg78/100
National avg73/100

How Lincoln County Compares

C
County Grade
58/100
Avg Safety Score
8
ZIP Codes
12
Water Systems

Lincoln County scores 20 points below the North Carolina state average (78/100) and 15 points below the national average (73/100).

Data: ZipCheckup Home Safety Score model 4.0.0; EPA SDWIS, UCMR 5, EPA radon zones, EPA AirData Last verified:

C
County Grade
58
Avg Safety Score
8
ZIP Codes
Best ZIP: 28168 (66/100)
Lowest ZIP: 28092 (50/100)
$221K
Median Home Value
$1,563
Avg Remediation (71% of home value)

ZIP Code Risk Map

Water Quality Map: Lincoln County, North Carolina

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Key Risk Factors

Health risk index: 13.3 (asthma 10.6%, diabetes 11.5%)

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $610, driven primarily by energy_code_gap

44.1% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)

Violation History (2023–2024)

→ Stable trend

EPA violation counts by year across Lincoln County water systems. Health-based shown in red, total in blue.

2023
1 (1 health)
2024
9 (9 health)

Peak year: 2024 with 9 violations. Past 5 years: 10 total (10 health-based).

Source: EPA SDWIS historical violations. Data may lag 6–12 months for the most recent year.

County Health Indicators vs National Average

Asthma 10.6% (national: 8.9%)
Diabetes 11.5% (national: 10.5%)
Obesity 35% (national: 32.4%)

Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Infrastructure Overview

1986
Median Build Year
44.1%
Pre-1978 Housing
33/100
Infrastructure Stress Indicator
0%
ZIPs with High Infrastructure Stress
Moderate
Lead Pipe Risk

Modeled area-level indicator, not a failure probability. Sources: Census ACS housing age, EPA DWINS infrastructure needs, EPA SDWIS violations, and EPA lead indicators.

Compound Risk Breakdown

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $610

Energy Code Gap $283/yr
Flood $280/yr
Water Infrastructure $113/yr

Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).

Housing Age Distribution

43,203 housing units in Lincoln County

Pre-1940 5%
1940–1959 9%
1960–1979 18%
1980–1999 35%
2000+ 32%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).

Water Safety Affordability

How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Lincoln County

$221K
Median Home Value
$1,563
Est. Remediation Cost
0.7%
of Home Value
Remediation as % of home value low burden

Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Lincoln County, representing a small fraction of property value.

Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.

Health Outcomes vs National Average

CDC PLACES data for Lincoln County residents

Asthma 10.6% (US avg: 8.9%)
Diabetes 11.5% (US avg: 11%)
Obesity 35% (US avg: 32.4%)

Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Water systems serving Lincoln County

8 community water systems serving Lincoln County.

Show all 8 water systems

12 total water systems serve Lincoln County.

Systems with the most violations in Lincoln County

5 water systems with recorded EPA violations.

All ZIP Codes in Lincoln County

8 ZIP codes tracked in Lincoln County.

# ZIP Code City Safety Score Grade Violations Home Value
1 28168 Vale 66 C 2 (1 health) $176K
2 28037 Denver 65 C 3 (1 health) $456K
3 28650 Maiden 52 D 42 (1 health) $210K
4 28092 Lincolnton 50 D 50 (1 health) $221K
5 28006 Alexis 5 (1 health) $242K
6 28033 Crouse 5 (2 health) $205K
7 28080 Iron Station 2 (1 health) $231K
8 28093 Lincolnton

Recommended Buyer Guides for Lincoln County

Designed to find the guide that fits the county, not the other way around - the system reads EPA detections, FEMA hazard layers, and CDC lead-exposure markers, then outputs the categories that resolve those specific risks for households here, with NSF-certified products surfaced when the matching contaminant appears in the local monitoring data.

Overview

Lincoln County in North Carolina covers 8 tracked ZIP records with an average Home Safety Score of C (58/100) across 4 scored records.

7 of 7 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record have recorded EPA violations. 3 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.

← Back to North Carolina Home Safety Profile

Data Sources

Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water safe in Lincoln County?
Lincoln County receives a grade of C. Some ZIP codes have recorded violations and residents in affected areas may want to test their water.
How many water systems serve Lincoln County?
Lincoln County is served by 12 public water systems that supply drinking water to residents across 8 ZIP codes.
What is the biggest environmental risk in Lincoln County?
The primary environmental risk factor in Lincoln County is energy_code_gap. This contributes to an estimated additional annual cost of $610 per homeowner.
How old are homes in Lincoln County?
The median home build year in Lincoln County is 1986. 44.1% of homes were built before 1978, which means they may contain lead-based paint and older plumbing materials.
How does Lincoln County compare to North Carolina?
Lincoln County has an average Home Safety Score of 58/100 under model 4.0.0, which is below the North Carolina state average of 78/100.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (2026). Lincoln County, NC: HSS 58/100; PFAS Found in Water. https://zipcheckup.com/county/north-carolina/lincoln/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-county-north-carolina-lincoln,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Lincoln County, NC: HSS 58/100; PFAS Found in Water}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/county/north-carolina/lincoln/}
}

Page version: August 2026.

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