Mercer County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mercer County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageHealthier than 76% of counties in Kentucky
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 83% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 71% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mercer County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,027 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 90.9 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.92% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,181 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mercer County grew by 5.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 23,027 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mercer County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.6% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,294 18.6% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,411 19.2% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,199 22.6% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,351 18.9% +1.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kentucky, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in Mercer County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.7% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mercer County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mercer County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Mercer County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,328 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.70% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mercer County is about 3% higher than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Mercer County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $190,116 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $830 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.9% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mercer County is about 19.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $830 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mercer County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 179 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mercer County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.5 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.9 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 179 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,546 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.9% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,273 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 412 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Mercer County is about the same as in Kentucky.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Mercer County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Mercer County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.1% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Mercer County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Mercer County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.1% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.3% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Mercer County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Mercer County, KY is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 23,027 residents against a local median of 29,109. The measure that sets Mercer County, KY apart most is median home price: $190,116, 65% above the local median of $115,223.
The counties themselves spread $154,660 on median home price, so Mercer County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mercer County, KY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, KY | 23,027 | $66,328 #4/5 | $190,116 #2/5 | 21.5 min #2/5 |
| Boyle County, KY | 30,941 | $61,212 | $189,130 | 16.4 min |
| Anderson County, KY | 24,353 | $74,458 | $41,316 | 29.0 min |
| Woodford County, KY | 27,278 | $83,715 | $38,589 | 22.8 min |
| Jessamine County, KY | 54,588 | $74,512 | $193,249 | 22.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mercer County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Mercer County, Kentucky?
About 23,027 people live in Mercer County, Kentucky, in 9,181 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Mercer County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Mercer County, Kentucky has 91 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Mercer County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($190,116 against $66,328), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $830 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Mercer County, Kentucky?
20.1% of adults in Mercer County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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