Mercer County, Ohio

OH · FIPS 39107 Republican

Located in Ohio, Mercer County has a population of 42,484 residents and a median age of 39.4 years, making it the #1,157 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.3%. The median home value is $210,600, and the median household income is $76,782, which is 2% above the national median.

42,484
Population
#1,157 of 3,222
$76,782
Median Income
+2.2% #736 of 3,222
39.4 years
Median Age
+1.3% #2,297 of 3,222
7.3%
Poverty Rate
-42.1% #248 of 3,222

Demographics

Mercer County has a population of 42,484, making it the #1,157 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.4 years, which is 1.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.3%
Native Born
1.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Mercer County is $76,782, ranking #736 out of 3,222 counties — 2.2% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.3% and unemployment stands at 1.6%.

Income#736
$76,782
+2.2%
vs nation
77th percentile
Per Capita#1,474
$35,761
-13.3%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poverty#248
7.3%
-42.1%
vs nation
92th percentile
Unemployment#186
1.6%
-69.8%
vs nation
94th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Mercer County is $210,600 (-25.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $804/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.6%.

Home Value#1,299
$210,600
-25.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Rent#2,068
$804
-30.9%
vs nation
36th percentile
Homeownership#699
79.6%
+23.5%
vs nation
78th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Mercer County, 21.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.9% below the national average, ranking #1,665 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.9% −34.9% vs nation
Rank #1,665 of 3,222
48th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Mercer County is 77.4 years. 17.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#811
77.4
+2.9%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,299
17.8%
-9.0%
vs nation
59th percentile
Diabetes#1,639
10.9%
-2.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,971
38.8%
+4.0%
vs nation
37th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,240
5.5
-2.7%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,224
4.2
-5.1%
vs nation
61th percentile
Uninsured Rate#666
6.6%
-36.9%
vs nation
79th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,393
25.2%
-4.5%
vs nation
56th percentile
Food Insecurity#526
11.0%
-23.6%
vs nation
83th percentile

Substance Use

19.6% of adults in Mercer County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 22.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 11.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,171
19.6%
+9.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,383
37.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
56th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,505
22.5%
+13.0%
vs nation
20th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#84
11.1
-65.6%
vs nation
96th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 8.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#57
8.5
-57.1%
vs nation
98th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#98
6.3
-64.5%
vs nation
96th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#894
14.5
-28.4%
vs nation
68th percentile

Families & Children

8.2% of children in Mercer County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 12.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#331
5.2
-23.8%
vs nation
76th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#627
12.3
-43.9%
vs nation
79th percentile
Child Poverty#168
8.2%
-56.8%
vs nation
95th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Mercer County is 79.1%. The mean commute time is 20.3 min, which is 26.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
79.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.3 min −26.3% vs nation
Rank #2,779 of 3,222
14th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Mercer County voted Republican with a margin of 66.7%. The vote was 16.3% Dem / 83% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +66.7%
16.3% 83%
Dem 23,750 votes Rep
2020 REP +64.9%
17% 81.9%
Dem 23,761 votes Rep
2016 REP +65.1%
15.6% 80.7%
Dem 21,315 votes Rep
2012 REP +54.8%
21.8% 76.6%
Dem 21,161 votes Rep
2008 REP +43.5%
27.5% 71%
Dem 21,271 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Mercer County, Ohio

Mercer County, Ohio has a total population of 42,484, making it the 1,157th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Mercer County is 39.4 years, which is 1.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Mercer County is $76,782, which ranks #736 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.2% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.6%.

The median home value in Mercer County is $210,600, 25.3% below the national median. Renters in Mercer County pay a median gross rent of $804 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Mercer County, 21.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.3 min.

Mercer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).

All data for Mercer County, Ohio 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.