Lincoln County, NC

Nestled between Gaston and Catawba counties, Lincoln County has experienced dramatic growth over the past decade. The widening of US Highway 321 giving the county direct access to two major interstate highways has established the route as a significant manufacturing and distribution corridor.  

At the same time that Lincoln was being rediscovered for industrial development, residential growth in the eastern half of the county, around the Denver community, began to accelerate.  This growth was fueled by Lake Norman, which became a leading choice in the Charlotte region for high-end, primary residences for retirees, as well as people working in Charlotte and other nearby employment centers such as Mooresville and North Mecklenburg.  This transformation of Lake Norman from a weekend/summer cottage market to luxury primary residences suddenly changed the character of eastern Lincoln County and set into motion a flood of new development that continues to this day.  

Lincoln persists as the only county in the Charlotte region with just one incorporated municipality and recent efforts to incorporate some of the communities around Lake Norman in order to manage growth more effectively have been met with political resistance.  It will be interesting to observe in the coming years whether Lincoln is able to reconcile its tradition of minimalist government with the enhanced expectations for more government that usually accompany growth.