Mercer County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mercer County, PA 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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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 71% of counties in Pennsylvania
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 109,257 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 160.2 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.63% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.2 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 46,512 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mercer County declined by 6.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 109,257 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mercer County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.4% of residents. That is 3.3 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 21,469 19.7% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 19,197 17.6% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 23,617 21.6% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 24,441 22.4% +3.3 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 Pennsylvania, 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 50.5% of the people living in Mercer County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 49.5% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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 | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,980 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.47% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mercer County is about 23% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $131,583 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $843 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.4% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mercer County is about 13.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $843 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mercer County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.8 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,495 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,860 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 578 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Cameron County (11.4 min), Elk County (15.4 min), McKean County (15.9 min).
Slowest:
Pike County (32.5 min), Perry County (32.0 min), Carbon County (30.5 min).
The average commute time in Mercer County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Pennsylvania.
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 | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.0% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Chester County (0.4), Montgomery County (0.4), Allegheny County (0.4).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.1), Mifflin County (0.2), Juniata County (0.2).
Health
Mercer County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.9% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.9% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Montgomery County (0.8), Centre County (0.8), Chester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.8), Mifflin County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8).
Mercer County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Mercer County, PA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 109,257 residents against a local median of 85,016. The measure that sets Mercer County, PA apart most is median home price: $131,583, 59% above the local median of $82,903.
The counties themselves spread $118,073 on median home price, so Mercer County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mercer County, PA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, PA | 109,257 | $59,980 #5/6 | $131,583 #2/6 | 17.4 min #1/6 |
| Lawrence County, PA | 85,016 | $61,638 | $92,069 | 20.1 min |
| Crawford County, PA | 82,709 | $60,428 | $82,903 | 18.1 min |
| Trumbull County, OH | 200,835 | $57,254 | $77,547 | 20.2 min |
| Venango County, PA | 49,798 | $61,779 | $54,195 | 18.5 min |
| Butler County, PA | 197,141 | $89,210 | $172,268 | 23.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
What is the population of Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
About 109,257 people live in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in 46,512 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 45.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Mercer County, Pennsylvania urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Mercer County, Pennsylvania has 160 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($131,583 against $59,980), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $843 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Mercer County, Pennsylvania have a college degree?
22.0% of adults in Mercer County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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