Mercer County, West Virginia
Located in West Virginia, Mercer County has a population of 58,563 residents and a median age of 43.5 years, making it the #911 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.5%. The median home value is $121,700, and the median household income is $53,210, which is 29% below the national median.
Demographics
Mercer County has a population of 58,563, making it the #911 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% 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 $53,210, ranking #2,583 out of 3,222 counties — 29.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.5% and unemployment stands at 2.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Mercer County is $121,700 (-56.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $810/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Mercer County, 22.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 32.2% below the national average, ranking #1,521 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Mercer County is 68.7 years. 22.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.2% of adults in Mercer County smoke , 42.5% are obese , and 16.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 118.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Mercer County is 8.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
25.6% of children in Mercer County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 37.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Mercer County is 53.5%. The mean commute time is 26.7 min, which is 3.4% below 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 57.3%. The vote was 20.6% Dem / 77.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Mercer County, West Virginia
Mercer County, West Virginia has a total population of 58,563, making it the 911th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Mercer County is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Mercer County is $53,210, which ranks #2,583 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 29.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.6%.
The median home value in Mercer County is $121,700, 56.8% below the national median. Renters in Mercer County pay a median gross rent of $810 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Mercer County, 22.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 32.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.7 min.
Mercer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.1%).
All data for Mercer County, West Virginia 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.