County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Mercer County
- What is the median household income in Mercer County?
- The median household income in Mercer County is $47,799 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Mercer County?
- The poverty rate in Mercer County is 14.4% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Mercer County?
- $118,600 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Mercer County?
- The median gross rent in Mercer County is $813 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Mercer County residents have a college degree?
- 20.7% of adults in Mercer County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
59,062
Median Income
$47,799
Median Home Value
$118,600
Poverty Rate
14.4%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
4.0%
Median Age
43.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$7,015 (+17.2%)
Home Value:
+$21,900 (+22.6%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.2 pp (-1.4%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.3 pp (+6.7%)
Unemployment:
-3.3 pp (-45.2%)
Demographics
Total Population
59,062
Median Age
43.0
Female
52.0%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
White (non-Hisp.) 88.9%
Black 4.3%
Asian 0.3%
Two or More 5.2%
Other 0.4%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
0.1%
Chinese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
0.4%
Puerto Rican
0.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$47,799
±$3,257
-$10,118 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$71,676
Median Family Income
$66,047
Poverty Rate
14.4%
+2.5 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
21.3%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
22.1%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
27.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
6.1%
$10–15k
5.7%
$15–25k
12.6%
$25–35k
13.2%
$35–50k
14.1%
$50–75k
16.5%
$75–100k
13.1%
$100–150k
11.0%
$150–200k
3.7%
$200k+
4.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
29,358
Owner-Occupied
69.7%
Renter-Occupied
30.3%
Vacancy Rate
16.8%
Median Home Value
$118,600
-$37,000 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$813
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
16.1%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
40.3%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
19.3%
$50–100k
22.1%
$100–200k
18.8%
$200–300k
15.9%
$300–500k
7.8%
$500k–$1M
1.6%
$1M+
0.5%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
15.3%
$500–1k
54.8%
$1–1.5k
25.1%
$1.5–2k
2.5%
$2–2.5k
0.8%
$3.5k+
1.5%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
8.0%
1 vehicle
35.6%
2 vehicles
34.2%
3+
22.3%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
66.7%
Single-fam. att.
1.7%
2–4 units
1.2%
5–19 units
4.7%
20+ units
2.2%
Mobile home
20.2%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
16.6%
1940–1969
6.7%
1970–1999
18.1%
2000–2009
9.1%
2010+
4.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
86.6%
Bachelor's or Higher
20.7%
-2.6 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
7.1%
Some College / Associate
18.4%
Less Than High School
4.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
49.6%
Unemployment Rate
4.0%
-1.7 pp vs. state
Work from Home
6.4%
Self-Employed
3.4%
Government Workers
18.9%
Private For-Profit
77.6%
Industry
Edu/Health
31.6%
Retail
13.3%
Arts/Entmt.
9.3%
Manufacturing
7.0%
Transportation
7.0%
Prof. Services
6.9%
Construction
5.9%
Public Admin
4.3%
Finance
3.4%
Agriculture
2.5%
Wholesale
2.2%
Information
1.8%
Occupation
Management
35.1%
Sales
19.5%
Food Prep
17.5%
Production
16.3%
Construction
11.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
24.4 min
Drove Alone
82.7%
Carpool
6.8%
Public Transit
0.6%
Work from Home
6.4%
Walked
2.2%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
24,413
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
46.3%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
15.0%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.3%
5–9
6.6%
10–14
5.8%
15–19
5.6%
20–24
5.9%
25–34
11.5%
35–44
11.2%
45–54
12.4%
55–64
6.0%
65–74
7.0%
75–84
13.2%
85+
6.5%
Under 18: 20.9%
Working age (18–64): 79.1%
65 and over: 22.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
0.8%
Naturalized Citizen
54.6%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
0.6%
Foreign-Born Origin
Europe
56.9%
Asia
20.2%
Africa
16.3%
Latin America
2.2%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.8%
With a Disability
22.3%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
94.3%
Uninsured
5.7%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
84.4%
Has a Computer
90.7%
Same House 1 Year Ago
89.1%
Moved from Abroad
0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Mercer County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Mercer County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 359 | 655 |
| Tazewell County | 122 | 246 |
| McDowell County | 64 | 110 |
| Raleigh County | 57 | 99 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 48 | 91 |
| Other flows - West | 45 | 80 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 34 | 58 |
| Giles County | 34 | 57 |
| Summers County | 24 | 39 |