Mercer County, Pennsylvania

PA · FIPS 42085 Republican

Located in Pennsylvania, Mercer County has a population of 109,257 residents and a median age of 45.1 years, making it the #574 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.2%. The median home value is $164,000, and the median household income is $59,976, which is 20% below the national median.

109,257
Population
#574 of 3,222
$59,976
Median Income
-20.2% #2,085 of 3,222
45.1 years
Median Age
+15.9% #730 of 3,222
13.2%
Poverty Rate
+4.4% #1,568 of 3,222

Demographics

Mercer County has a population of 109,257, making it the #574 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.1 years, which is 15.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.2%
Native Born
1.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Mercer County is $59,976, ranking #2,085 out of 3,222 counties — 20.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.2% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.

Income#2,085
$59,976
-20.2%
vs nation
35th percentile
Per Capita#1,757
$34,033
-17.5%
vs nation
45th percentile
Poverty#1,568
13.2%
+4.4%
vs nation
51th percentile
Unemployment#2,208
5.3%
+0.4%
vs nation
31th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Mercer County is $164,000 (-41.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $843/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.4%.

Home Value#1,938
$164,000
-41.8%
vs nation
40th percentile
Rent#1,804
$843
-27.5%
vs nation
44th percentile
Homeownership#1,955
72.4%
+12.4%
vs nation
39th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Mercer County, 25.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 24.0% below the national average, ranking #1,157 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.6% −24.0% vs nation
Rank #1,157 of 3,222
64th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Mercer County is 74.6 years. 17.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,737
74.6
-0.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,329
17.9%
-8.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Diabetes#660
9.2%
-17.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,464
40.6%
+8.8%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,473
5.6
-0.9%
vs nation
53th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,676
4.5
+0.5%
vs nation
47th percentile
Uninsured Rate#817
7.0%
-32.9%
vs nation
74th percentile
Physical Inactivity#711
22.4%
-15.1%
vs nation
77th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,474
13.9%
-3.5%
vs nation
53th percentile

Substance Use

18.7% of adults in Mercer County smoke , 35.7% are obese , and 20.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 50.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,891
18.7%
+4.1%
vs nation
40th percentile
Adult Obesity#859
35.7%
-5.8%
vs nation
73th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,841
20.6%
+3.8%
vs nation
42th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,819
50.0
+54.7%
vs nation
14th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Mercer County is 3.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.9 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#315
3.2
-59.5%
vs nation
80th percentile
Suicide Rate#806
15.3
-22.4%
vs nation
69th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#633
12.2
-31.6%
vs nation
74th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#565
11.9
-41.2%
vs nation
80th percentile

Families & Children

18.8% of children in Mercer County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 14.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#838
7.0
+3.7%
vs nation
39th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#833
14.3
-34.3%
vs nation
72th percentile
Child Poverty#1,740
18.8%
-1.0%
vs nation
45th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Mercer County is 65.4%. The mean commute time is 23.6 min, which is 14.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
65.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.6 min −14.6% vs nation
Rank #2,237 of 3,222
31th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Mercer County voted Republican with a margin of 30.1%. The vote was 34.5% Dem / 64.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +30.1%
34.5% 64.6%
Dem 58,410 votes Rep
2020 REP +26.0%
36.4% 62.4%
Dem 57,954 votes Rep
2016 REP +25.0%
35.6% 60.6%
Dem 49,594 votes Rep
2012 REP +2.6%
48% 50.6%
Dem 48,065 votes Rep
2008 REP +0.3%
49.1% 49.4%
Dem 53,821 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Mercer County, Pennsylvania

Mercer County, Pennsylvania has a total population of 109,257, making it the 574th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Mercer County is 45.1 years, which is 15.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Mercer County is $59,976, which ranks #2,085 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.

The median home value in Mercer County is $164,000, 41.8% below the national median. Renters in Mercer County pay a median gross rent of $843 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Mercer County, 25.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.6 min.

Mercer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 87.9% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).

All data for Mercer County, Pennsylvania 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.