Should I Move To
Roughly 50,131 people live in Lincoln, California. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 19% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,067/mo; the typical household pulls in $99,434. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 48/100 — a D, putting it at #580 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Lincoln sits at 119 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($2,067/mo against $99,434 median household income), housing eats roughly 25% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $594,500.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 91°F in summer, 40°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 18 inches. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Air quality reads good (AQI 47).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Lincoln isn't the strongest match. It earns 44/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on job market (82/100); weakest on affordability (23/100).
For retirees, Lincoln isn't the strongest match. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on job market (82/100); weakest on affordability (23/100).
For remote workers, Lincoln isn't the strongest match. It earns 38/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on job market (82/100); weakest on affordability (23/100).
For young professionals, Lincoln isn't the strongest match. It earns 52/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on job market (82/100); weakest on affordability (23/100).
Lincoln, California pulls a 48/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade D), currently ranked #580 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Lincoln's cost-of-living index is 119 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 19% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,067/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 91°F, winter averages around 40°F, with about 18 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 25/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Lincoln has about 50,131 residents, 37% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 45.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Lincoln head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Lincoln stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Lincoln with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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