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Demographics of Lincoln, ND
Affluence Level in Lincoln, ND
A middle-class area roughly in line with national averages across income, home values, education, and employment.
People of Lincoln, ND
The people of Lincoln, North Dakota, today form a small, predominantly white, family-oriented community of 4,309 residents, characterized by a strong sense of local identity and a notably low population density. With a foreign-born population of 0.0% and a white population of 82.8%, Lincoln is one of the most ethnically homogeneous cities in the state, though a Hispanic minority of 8.3% adds a modest layer of diversity. The city’s distinctive markers include a high proportion of families with children, a blue-collar workforce tied to energy and agriculture, and a conservative political leaning that reflects its rural and small-town roots.
How the city was settled and grew
Lincoln was founded in the late 19th century as a railroad stop along the Northern Pacific Railway, drawing its first permanent settlers—primarily German and Scandinavian farmers—who were attracted by the promise of cheap land under the Homestead Act. These early homesteaders built the core of what is now Old Town Lincoln, a historic district centered around Main Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, where simple wood-frame houses and a handful of original commercial buildings still stand. The city’s growth remained slow through the early 1900s, as the surrounding agricultural economy—wheat, cattle, and later sugar beets—provided steady but modest employment. A second wave of settlers arrived during the Great Depression, when Dust Bowl refugees from the Great Plains, many of them of German-Russian descent, moved into the area and established small farms on the outskirts, forming the Southside Settlement along what is now Highway 83. By 1950, Lincoln’s population had barely reached 600, and the city remained a quiet, agrarian crossroads.
Modern era (post-1965)
The modern era for Lincoln began in the 1970s and accelerated after 2000, driven by the oil boom in the Bakken shale formation to the west and the expansion of Bismarck’s suburban footprint. The city’s population more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, as workers in energy, construction, and logistics sought affordable housing within commuting distance of the state capital. This domestic in-migration—overwhelmingly white and from other parts of North Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota—settled primarily in two newer subdivisions: Prairie View Estates, a master-planned development of single-family homes built between 2005 and 2015, and Riverside Addition, a more modest neighborhood of ranch-style houses along the Missouri River floodplain. The Hispanic population, which now stands at 8.3%, began arriving in the 1990s, largely as seasonal agricultural workers in the sugar beet fields and later as permanent residents in the West Lincoln area, a cluster of mobile homes and older houses near the city’s western boundary. Unlike many larger cities, Lincoln has seen no significant Black, Asian, or Indian-subcontinent populations, and its foreign-born share remains at 0.0%, reflecting the city’s limited economic pull for international immigrants and its geographic isolation from major urban centers.
The future
Looking ahead, Lincoln’s population is likely to continue growing slowly, driven by the same forces of domestic migration and suburban expansion that have shaped it since 2000. The city’s demographic profile is expected to remain predominantly white, with the Hispanic share potentially rising to 10-12% over the next decade as second-generation families settle and new agricultural workers arrive. However, the city shows no signs of tribalizing into distinct ethnic enclaves; instead, the Hispanic population is gradually assimilating into the broader community, with children attending the same schools and families living in mixed neighborhoods like Sunset Hills, a newer development of townhomes and starter homes built after 2020. The lack of foreign-born residents and the absence of Black, Asian, and Indian-subcontinent communities mean Lincoln will likely remain one of the most homogeneous small cities in the Upper Midwest, with little pressure for rapid diversification. The biggest demographic challenge is an aging population—the median age is 38.2—and a college-educated share of just 18.3%, which may limit the city’s ability to attract higher-wage industries beyond energy and agriculture.
For someone moving in now, Lincoln is becoming a stable, slow-growing bedroom community for Bismarck’s workforce, with a population that values affordability, safety, and a traditional small-town lifestyle. The city’s demographic future points toward gradual, modest growth, a persistent white majority, and a small but integrated Hispanic minority, with no major shifts expected in the next 10-20 years. It is a place where the past—homesteaders, railroad workers, and farmers—still shapes the present, and where newcomers are likely to find a welcoming but culturally homogeneous environment.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-04-19T05:50:54.000Z
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