Mercer County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Mercer County has a population of 23,028 residents and a median age of 42.9 years, making it the #1,731 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.7%. The median home value is $202,300, and the median household income is $64,824, which is 14% below the national median.
Demographics
Mercer County has a population of 23,028, making it the #1,731 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.9 years, which is 10.3% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Mercer County is $64,824, ranking #1,649 out of 3,222 counties — 13.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.7% and unemployment stands at 4.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Mercer County is $202,300 (-28.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $831/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Mercer County, 24.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 26.1% below the national average, ranking #1,240 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Mercer County is 73.4 years. 19.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.1% of adults in Mercer County smoke , 38.4% are obese , and 16.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 53.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 17.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 25.3 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
17.6% of children in Mercer County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 28.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Mercer County is 71.2%. The mean commute time is 29.6 min, which is 7.3% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Mercer County voted Republican with a margin of 50.5%. The vote was 24% Dem / 74.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Mercer County, Kentucky
Mercer County, Kentucky has a total population of 23,028, making it the 1,731st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Mercer County is 42.9 years, which is 10.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Mercer County is $64,824, which ranks #1,649 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.3%.
The median home value in Mercer County is $202,300, 28.2% below the national median. Renters in Mercer County pay a median gross rent of $831 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Mercer County, 24.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.6 min.
Mercer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.4%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.1%).
All data for Mercer County, Kentucky comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.