Mercer County, North Dakota Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Mercer County is located in North Dakota with a total population of 8,337. It is the 17th most populous county out of 53 in North Dakota. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Mercer County is 42.9 years. This is 19% higher than the state median of 35.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Mercer County is $80,946. This is 6% higher than the state median of $76,657. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.7%. This is 11% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. The unemployment rate is 2.5%. This is 8% lower than the state rate of 2.8%. The median home value is $198,500. Housing costs are 21% lower than the state median of $249,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Mercer County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 81.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 29% higher than the state average of 62.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Mercer County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.8%. The Black or African American population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 3.3%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

23.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 29% lower than the state rate of 32.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.3%.

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 North Dakota 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.