Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $141,775 | $154,283 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 5.4% | 4.4% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $808 | $1,161 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.0% | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Mercer County is about 8% lower than in Pennsylvania. Rent is about 30% lower than the Pennsylvania average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mercer County, up about 5.4% and 3.0% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Mercer County rose about 30.2% between 2015 and 2023, from $621 to $808. Over the same span, rent in Pennsylvania rose about 38.3%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.3 yearly household incomes in Mercer County.
Buying the median-priced home in Mercer County costs roughly 14.6 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Mercer County. The price-to-rent ratio in Pennsylvania is about 11.1.
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $141,775 | $154,283 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $60,626 | $76,231 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.3 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Mercer County rose about 45.6%, while median household income rose about 42.9% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 65.7% | 62.8% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 24.9% | 27.8% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 9.4% | 9.4% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 19.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 |
Mercer County has a homeownership rate of 65.7%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 62.8%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.4%, compared with 9.4% in Pennsylvania.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.24 people | 2.40 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1966 | 1965 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Mercer County was built around 1966. On average, 2.2 people live in a home with about 6.0 rooms, staying for about 19.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
What is the median home price in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
The median home price in Mercer County, Pennsylvania is $141,775, lower than the Pennsylvania average of $154,283.
What is the average home price in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
The median gross rent in Mercer County, Pennsylvania is $808 per month, lower than the Pennsylvania average of $1,161.
What was the median gross rent in Mercer County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Mercer County, Pennsylvania was $682 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
The price-to-rent ratio in Mercer County, Pennsylvania is about 14.6, meaning it would take roughly 14.6 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Mercer County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mercer County, up about 5.4% and 3.0% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
65.7% of households in Mercer County, Pennsylvania own their home, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 62.8%.
What is the vacancy rate in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
The housing vacancy rate in Mercer County, Pennsylvania is 9.4%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 9.4%.