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COUNTY

Mercer County

West Virginia · 57,503 residents (2025 est.) · 419 sq mi
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The short version

With 58,563 people, Mercer County is a county in West Virginia. The typical home is worth $121,700, having more than doubled since 2000. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 23% of adults. 1% of locals were born outside the United States. The median age is 43.5, about 5 years above the US median. Renters pay $810 a month at the median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% 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

Total population
58,563
−7%since 2000
from 62,980 in 2000
57,503 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
140 / sq mi
−5%since 2009
from 147 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
43.5
+8%since 2000
from 40.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
419 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
58K60K62K64K66K19902000201020202024Mercer County
202459K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.2%(3,027)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(3,602)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.2%(3,657)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.6%(3,297)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.8%(3,413)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.6%(6,774)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.2%(6,582)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.5%(7,337)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.8%(7,481)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.2%(7,752)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.8%(3,971)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.9%(1,670)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$53,210
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,628 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,362
+95%since 2000
from $15,564 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
35.6%
+21.6 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.5%
−3.3 ptssince 2000
from 19.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.451
−2%since 2010
from 0.462 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance6.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services3.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing1.9%
US avg: 0.4%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$121,700
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $56,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$810
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $372 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
72.9%
−3.9 ptssince 2000
from 76.8% in 2000
27.1% rent
Vacancy rate
17.5%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.36 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.37 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
12.0%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
41.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 41.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.3
+1%since 2009
from 2.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
62
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic92.2%(58,073)
Black5.8%(3,657)
Hispanic / Latino0.5%(285)
Asian0.5%(288)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic88.6%(51,880)
Black4.1%(2,372)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(789)
Asian0.2%(127)
Other5.8%(3,395)
Diversity Score
26
+37%since 2009
from 19 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
28
−39%since 2020
from 45 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

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.6%(350)
Puerto Rican0.2%(92)
Spaniard0.1%(81)
Dominican0.1%(32)
Cuban0%(11)
Asian origin
Filipino0.1%(49)
Burmese0%(21)
Japanese0%(13)
Ancestry
English14.2%(8,304)
Irish12.2%(7,168)
American10.4%(6,080)
German10.2%(5,950)
Italian2.5%(1,485)
Scottish1.5%(870)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(832)
Hungarian0.7%(431)
Dutch0.7%(395)
Welsh0.6%(342)
French0.6%(326)
Norwegian0.5%(313)
+ 25 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.4%(239)
Slovak0.3%(203)
Swedish0.3%(194)
Russian0.3%(160)
British0.2%(125)
Austrian0.2%(123)
Arab0.2%(108)
Lebanese0.2%(97)
Belgian0.1%(46)
Croatian0%(26)
Danish0%(26)
Romanian0%(21)
Turkish0%(19)
Syrian0%(13)
Moroccan0%(11)
Czech0%(5)
Greek0%(5)
Haitian0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.9%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 13.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
88.6%
+16.5 ptssince 2000
from 72.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.2%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 5.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.0 min
+47%since 2000
from 16.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
81.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 83.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.0%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
6.6%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.5%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 8.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.7%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 6.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
50.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2011
from 48.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
65.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 62.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
16.4%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
35.3%
+4.4 ptssince 2009
from 30.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
51.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
0.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.4%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
23.3%
−1.5 ptssince 2012
from 24.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.9%
−10.6 ptssince 2013
from 15.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
86.5%
+22.4 ptssince 2017
from 64.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
91.9%
+7.3 ptssince 2020
from 84.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.2%
+5.2 ptssince 2020
from 85.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
98.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 97.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 1.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31.3%(7,184)
Married51.2%(11,752)
Widowed4.7%(1,077)
Divorced12.9%(2,954)
Women 15+
Never married21.6%(5,471)
Married46.8%(11,852)
Widowed15.5%(3,928)
Divorced16%(4,059)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.9%
−10.6 ptssince 2013
from 15.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
50.5%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 46.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
27.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 27.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
28.8%
−2.1 ptssince 2020
from 30.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
4.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 4.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.1%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 57.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
51.9%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 54.4% 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)24.4%(834)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22%(751)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.2%(1,340)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(192)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.5%(84)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,416 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

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Head to head

Compare Mercer County to nearby counties

MERCER COUNTY VS
Bland County
Income$61,216+15%
Home value$152,100+25%
Population6,151−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCER COUNTY VS
Summers County
Income$40,699−24%
Home value$140,100+15%
Population11,532−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCER COUNTY VS
Giles County
Income$65,691+23%
Home value$151,100+24%
Population16,564−71%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCER COUNTY VS
Raleigh County
Income$52,150−2%
Home value$150,900+24%
Population71,775+25%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Mercer County, West Virginia?

Mercer County, West Virginia has about 58,563 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Mercer County, West Virginia?

The typical household in Mercer County, West Virginia earns about $53,210 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Mercer County, West Virginia expensive?

In Mercer County, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $121,700, and the typical rent is about $810 a month.

How educated are people in Mercer County, West Virginia?

About 22.9% of adults age 25 and over in Mercer County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Mercer County, West Virginia?

About 16.5% of people in Mercer County, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Mercer County, West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Mercer County, West Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 6,417 residents, a change of about -10 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →