United States › Illinois › Mercer County COUNTY
Mercer County Illinois · 15,229 residents (2025 est.) · 561 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Mercer County is a county of 15,495 people in Illinois. Owners hold 84% of the housing stock. That puts it in the top 8% of US counties for household income. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. The median age is 44.7, about 6 years above the US median. The typical home is worth $146,700, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 16,957 in 2000
15,229 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 29 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 39.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
15K 16K 16K 17K 17K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Mercer County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $74,182
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,893 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $18,645 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 29.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.383 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 6.4%
Professional, scientific, technical 5.4%
Public administration 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Education & health services 1.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$146,700
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $70,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$786
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $392 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 79.7% in 2000
16.2% rent
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.40 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 19.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 31.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.0 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 97.6%(16,551)
Hispanic / Latino 1.3%(216)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 93.1%(14,426)
Hispanic / Latino 3.4%(534)
from 8 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 17 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 19 more ancestry groups with data from 12.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 84.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 19.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 80.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 5.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 65.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 78.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 27.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 11.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 7.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 74.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 87.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 91.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 98.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 25.7%(1,676)
Women 15+
Never married 19.3%(1,235)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 7.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 63.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 77.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 35.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 31.2%(321)
Gulf War (1990s) 19.7%(203)
Share of the 1,029 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Mercer County Head to head
Compare Mercer County to nearby counties MERCER COUNTY VS
Rock Island County
Income $67,159 −9%
Home value $150,400 +3%
Population 141,869 +832%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCER COUNTY VS
Warren County
Income $67,385 −9%
Home value $105,000 −28%
Population 16,222 +7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCER COUNTY VS
Louisa County
Income $77,354 +4%
Home value $150,100 +2%
Population 10,416 −32%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCER COUNTY VS
Muscatine County
Income $69,396 −6%
Home value $182,100 +24%
Population 41,853 +175%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Mercer County, Illinois? Mercer County, Illinois has about 15,495 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Mercer County, Illinois? The typical household in Mercer County, Illinois earns about $74,182 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Mercer County, Illinois expensive? In Mercer County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $146,700, and the typical rent is about $786 a month.
How educated are people in Mercer County, Illinois? About 20.9% of adults age 25 and over in Mercer County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Mercer County, Illinois? About 8.9% of people in Mercer County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Mercer County, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Mercer County, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,795 residents, a change of about -10 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 