Mercer County, North Dakota

ND · FIPS 38057 Republican

Located in North Dakota, Mercer County has a population of 8,337 residents and a median age of 42.9 years, making it the #2,626 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.7%. The median home value is $198,500, and the median household income is $80,946, which is 8% above the national median.

8,337
Population
#2,626 of 3,222
$80,946
Median Income
+7.7% #541 of 3,222
42.9 years
Median Age
+10.3% #1,244 of 3,222
9.7%
Poverty Rate
-23.3% #712 of 3,222

Demographics

Mercer County has a population of 8,337, making it the #2,626 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

97.9%
Native Born
2.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Mercer County is $80,946, ranking #541 out of 3,222 counties — 7.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.7% and unemployment stands at 2.5%.

Income#541
$80,946
+7.7%
vs nation
83th percentile
Per Capita#660
$41,590
+0.8%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poverty#712
9.7%
-23.3%
vs nation
78th percentile
Unemployment#459
2.5%
-52.5%
vs nation
86th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Mercer County is $198,500 (-29.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,031/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.1%.

Home Value#1,422
$198,500
-29.6%
vs nation
56th percentile
Rent#901
$1,031
-11.3%
vs nation
72th percentile
Homeownership#475
81.1%
+25.9%
vs nation
85th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Mercer County, 23.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 31.0% below the national average, ranking #1,472 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
23.3% −31.0% vs nation
Rank #1,472 of 3,222
54th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Mercer County is 79.3 years. 14.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#343
79.3
+5.5%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#514
14.9%
-23.8%
vs nation
84th percentile
Diabetes#652
9.2%
-17.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#561
33.2%
-11.0%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#58
4.4
-22.4%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#460
3.7
-16.1%
vs nation
85th percentile
Uninsured Rate#682
6.6%
-36.6%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#889
23.2%
-12.1%
vs nation
72th percentile
Food Insecurity#49
7.8%
-45.9%
vs nation
99th percentile

Substance Use

16.8% of adults in Mercer County smoke , 36.3% are obese , and 24.7% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,222
16.8%
-6.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Adult Obesity#983
36.3%
-4.2%
vs nation
69th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,990
24.7%
+24.2%
vs nation
5th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 35.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,465
35.7
+81.0%
vs nation
4th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,993
23.9
+33.9%
vs nation
19th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,649
20.5
+1.4%
vs nation
42th percentile

Families & Children

8.2% of children in Mercer County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 8.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#330
8.9
-59.3%
vs nation
89th percentile
Child Poverty#166
8.2%
-56.8%
vs nation
95th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Mercer County is 72.8%. The mean commute time is 20.8 min, which is 24.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.8 min −24.7% vs nation
Rank #2,735 of 3,222
15th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Mercer County voted Republican with a margin of 69.0%. The vote was 14.8% Dem / 83.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +69.0%
14.8% 83.8%
Dem 4,530 votes Rep
2020 REP +67.4%
15.1% 82.5%
Dem 4,675 votes Rep
2016 REP +67.9%
13.5% 81.4%
Dem 4,564 votes Rep
2012 REP +44.9%
26.4% 71.3%
Dem 4,394 votes Rep
2008 REP +29.8%
33.6% 63.4%
Dem 4,397 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Mercer County, North Dakota

Mercer County, North Dakota has a total population of 8,337, making it the 2,626th 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 $80,946, which ranks #541 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.5%.

The median home value in Mercer County is $198,500, 29.6% below the national median. Renters in Mercer County pay a median gross rent of $1,031 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Mercer County, 23.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 31.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.8 min.

Mercer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.8%).

All data for Mercer County, North Dakota 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.