Mercer County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Mercer County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 23,028. It is the 51st most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Mercer County is 42.9 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Mercer County is $64,824. This is 2% higher than the state median of $63,726. It is also 20% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 10.7%. This is 34% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.4%. This is 10% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $202,300. Housing costs are 2% lower than the state median of $205,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 75.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% higher than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Mercer County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.4%. The Black or African American population (3.1%) is well below the state average of 7.5%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

24.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 10% lower than the state rate of 27.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Mercer County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Kentucky and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.