Lincoln County profile

Lincoln County geographic overview

 

Lincoln County is in the eastern part of Washington state. It is known for its rich agricultural heritage. The city of Davenport serves as the county seat and is also the largest city in Lincoln County.

The county covers 2,339 square miles, including 36 square miles of water. It features a diverse landscape with rolling wheat fields, river valleys and the scenic shores of Lake Roosevelt.

Lincoln County was created out of Whitman County in 1883 and is named after Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.

Washington has 12 regional Workforce Development Areas. Lincoln County is part of Area 10, the Eastern Washington Partnership. Visit the Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board website for information about the 12 regions.

Lincoln County employment situation for August 2025

Monthly labor force and unemployment

• The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3% during August 2025, down from 6.0% in August 2024.
• The labor force decreased by 8 workers from August 2024 to August 2025.
• The total employed workers increased by 21 workers from August 2024 to August 2025

Unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted

Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Local area unemployment statistics

Monthly nonfarm payroll employment in Lincoln County, Washington

• Total nonfarm employment in Lincoln County was 2,610 jobs in August 2025. Total nonfarm employment decreased by 20 jobs over the month and decreased by 30 jobs over the year. Total private sectors decreased by 10 jobs from August 2024 to August 2025, for a total of 1,290 jobs.

• Goods producing sectors, with 330 jobs, decreased by 10 jobs over the month but remained unchanged from August 2024.
  • The largest group in this sector is construction, with 310 jobs, increased by 10 jobs from August 2024 to August 2025.
• Service providing sectors, with 2,280 jobs, decreased by 10 jobs over the month and decreased by 30 jobs from August 2024.
  • Wholesale trade, with a total of 160 jobs in August 2025, increased by 10 jobs over the month but decreased by 10 jobs over the year.
  • Professional and business services remained unchanged over the month and over the year, with a total of 180 jobs.
  • Leisure and hospitality, with a total of 180 jobs, decreased by 10 jobs over the month but increased by 10 jobs over the year.
• Government services, with a total of 1,320 jobs including public educational services, decreased by 10 jobs over the month and decreased by 20 jobs from August 2024.

Nonfarm employment estimates, not seasonally adjusted, Lincoln County

NAICS Industry Title	Aug 2025 (Prelim)	Jul 2025 (Revised)	Aug 2024 (Revised)	Jul 2025 to Aug 2025 Change	Aug 2024 to Aug 2025 Change	Aug 2024 to Aug 2025 % Change
Total nonfarm	2,610	2,630	2,640	-20	-30	-1.1%
Total private (total nonfarm less government)	1,290	1,300	1,300	-10	-10	-0.8%
Goods-producing	330	340	330	-10	0	0.0%
- Mining, logging and construction	310	310	300	0	10	3.3%
- Manufacturing	20	20	20	0	0	0.0%
Service-providing	2,280	2,290	2,310	-10	-30	-1.3%
- Wholesale trade	160	150	170	10	-10	-5.9%
- Retail trade	120	120	140	0	-20	-14.3%
- Transportation, warehousing, and utilities	90	90	90	0	0	0.0%
- Information	10	0	10	10	0	0.0%
- Financial activities	50	50	50	0	0	0.0%
- Professional and business services	180	180	180	0	0	0.0%
- Private education and health services	110	100	100	10	10	10.0%
- Leisure and hospitality	180	190	170	-10	10	5.9%
- Other services	70	70	70	0	0	0.0%
- Government	1,320	1,330	1,340	-10	-20	-1.5%

Note: Data benchmarked through March 2025, updated September 15, 2025.
Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Washington employment estimates (WA-QB & CES)
Detailed tables can be found on the source page in the third spreadsheet titled Current employment estimates, not seasonally adjusted.

Total covered employment

Employment by industry, Lincoln County 2024 annual average

Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Covered Employment (QCEW) 

Average annual covered employment in Lincoln County was 2,662 in 2024. Covered employment refers to workers who received wages in Washington state and are eligible for state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) compensation programs.

Wages can vary substantially from one industry sector to another. The average annual wage in Washington state for all industries was $92,467 in 2024. The average annual wage in Lincoln County was $54,323 in 2024.

Top five sectors by total employment counts during 2024:

• Government (1,224)
• Construction (308)
• Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (209)
• Wholesale trade (154)
• Retail trade (140)

Top five sectors by average annual wages during 2024:

• Utilities ($98,304)
• Construction ($70,051)
• Finance and insurance ($69,043)
• Healthcare and social assistance ($62,031)
• Professional, scientific and technical services ($59,664)

Workforce demographics in Lincoln County

The labor force participation rate is highest among the 35 to 39 years age group at 83.7%, while the 65 to 74 age group has the lowest at 24.6%. Participation rate for labor force prime working population 20 to 64 years of age was 73.8%.

Male workers have a slightly higher participation rate (78.3%) compared to female workers (69.2%). Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher have the highest participation rate at 85.9%, while those with less than a high school diploma have the lowest at 48.6%.

Visit the U.S. Census Bureau website for more quick facts about Lincoln County.

Age

Demographic characteristic	Total	Labor force participation rate	Unemployment rate
Population 16 years and over	9,146	53.4%	5.5%
16 to 19 years	558	34.9%	19.5%
20 to 24 years	519	72.1%	16.8%
25 to 29 years	462	72.7%	5.1%
30 to 34 years	480	83.1%	4.1%
35 to 44 years	1,243	83.7%	3.9%
45 to 54 years	1,245	81.6%	5.5%
55 to 59 years	723	62.2%	6.4%
60 to 64 years	1,005	57.4%	0.9%
65 to 74 years	1,763	24.6%	0.0%
75 years and over	1,148	5.5%	4.8%

Race or Hispanic origin

Demographic characteristic	Total	Labor force participation rate	Unemployment rate
White alone	8,389	53.2%	5.4%
Black or African American alone	59	50.8%	56.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone	204	43.1%	0.0%
Asian alone	71	43.7%	6.5%
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone	21	95.2%	0.0%
Some other race alone	108	78.7%	0.0%
Two or more races	294	57.1%	3.7%
Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race)	318	66.4%	11.8%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino	8,289	52.9%	5.4%
Population 20 to 64 years	5,677	73.8%	5.4%

Sex

Demographic characteristic	Total	Labor force participation rate	Unemployment rate
Male	2,868	78.3%	4.8%
Female	2,809	69.2%	6.2%

Females with children

Demographic characteristic	Total	Labor force participation rate	Unemployment rate
With own children under 18	940	72.1%	5.9%
With own children under 6 only	150	50.7%	22.4%
With own children under 6 and 6 to 17	272	65.1%	0.0%
With own children 6 to 17 only	518	82.0%	5.4%

Poverty status in the past 12 months

Demographic characteristic	Total	Labor force participation rate	Unemployment rate
Below poverty level	563	39.6%	12.6%
At or above the poverty level	5,077	78.2%	5.0%

Disability status

Demographic characteristic	Total	Labor force participation rate	Unemployment rate
With any disability	1,028	52.4%	10.4%

Educational attainment

Demographic characteristic	Total	Labor force participation rate	Unemployment rate
Population 25 to 64 years	5,158	74.0%	4.3%
Less than high school graduate	354	48.6%	14.5%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	1,347	68.2%	7.0%
Some college or associate's degree	2,195	74.9%	2.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1,262	85.9%	2.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, S2301 | Employment Status 

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