Mercer County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Mercer County is located in Missouri with a total population of 3,501. It is the 114th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Mercer County is 40.8 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Mercer County is $60,357. This is 12% lower than the state median of $68,920. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 14.7%. This is 17% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 2.4%. This is 43% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $95,300. Housing costs are 56% lower than the state median of $215,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.6x, Mercer County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 16% higher than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Mercer County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.4%. The Black or African American population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 11.0%.

Education

17.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 44% lower than the state rate of 31.9%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 90.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Mercer County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Missouri 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.