Demographics of Mercer County, West Virginia

Mercer County, West Virginia had 57,503 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −2,025 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Mercer County, in four figures

57,503
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −3.4%
Change since July 2020: −2,025 people.; 43.5 ±0.4
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $53,210 ±$3,616
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Mercer County, West Virginia's population shrank 3.4% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Mercer County, West Virginia's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Mercer County, West Virginia's population shrank 3.4% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Mercer County, West Virginia's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	59,528	100.0	100.0
2021	59,184	99.4	100.2
2022	58,617	98.5	100.7
2023	58,090	97.6	101.6
2024	57,552	96.7	102.5
2025	57,503	96.6	103.1

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Population of Mercer County, West Virginia on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	59,528	−132	−87	+2	−53
2021	59,184	−344	−532	+14	+116
2022	58,617	−567	−593	+20	+47
2023	58,090	−527	−347	+30	−194
2024	57,552	−538	−380	−8	−142
2025	57,503	−49	−373	−35	+362

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 43.5 ±0.4: for men 41.8 ±0.8 and for women 45.2 ±0.4. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Mercer County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Under 5	3,027 ±58	5.2% ±0.1	5.0% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	9,177 ±605	15.7% ±1.0	15.1% ±0.2	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	4,792 ±394	8.2% ±0.7	8.8% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	13,356 ±540	22.8% ±0.9	23.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	14,818 ±656	25.3% ±1.1	26.2% ±0.2	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	13,393 ±743	22.9% ±1.3	21.0% ±0.2	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $53,210 ±$3,616, and income per person $30,362 ±$1,912, in 2024 dollars. The median is $59,608 ±$691 in West Virginia and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Mercer County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	West Virginia	United States
Under $25,000	5,299 ±583	21.9% ±2.3	21.1% ±0.4	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	6,391 ±727	26.4% ±2.9	21.6% ±0.4	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	3,922 ±510	16.2% ±2.1	17.3% ±0.4	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	3,184 ±399	13.1% ±1.6	12.7% ±0.4	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	3,294 ±470	13.6% ±1.9	15.1% ±0.4	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	1,147 ±287	4.7% ±1.2	6.3% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	987 ±258	4.1% ±1.1	5.9% ±0.2	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Mercer County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	West Virginia	United States
All ages	9,414 ±1,213	16.5% ±2.1	16.7% ±0.4	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	2,269 ±473	19.0% ±3.8	21.5% ±0.7	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	5,028 ±742	17.8% ±2.5	17.0% ±0.4	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	2,117 ±387	12.6% ±2.2	12.8% ±0.4	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Mercer County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Mercer County	West Virginia	United States
Housing units	29,345 ±54	861,325 ±394	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	82.5% ±2.0	84.6% ±0.4	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	17.5% ±1.9	15.4% ±0.4	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	72.9% ±1.9	74.9% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	27.1% ±2.7	25.1% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$121,700 ±$10,048	$162,600 ±$1,346	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$810 ±$47	$872 ±$8	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1974 ±2	1976 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Mercer County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Hispanic or Latino	789 ±0	1.3% ±<0.1	2.1% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	51,880 ±537	88.6% ±0.9	89.7% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	2,372 ±355	4.1% ±0.6	3.1% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	20 to 234	< 0.1% to 0.4%	0.8% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	52 to 358	0.1% to 0.6%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 30	0% to 0.1%	< 0.1%	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	6 to 302	< 0.1% to 0.5%	0.3% ±0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	3,036 ±607	5.2% ±1.0	3.9% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Mercer County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Born in the state	43,846 ±1,127	74.9% ±1.9	67.4% ±0.3	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	14,055 ±1,130	24.0% ±1.9	30.2% ±0.3	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	126 to 458	0.2% to 0.8%	0.5% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	370 ±142	0.6% ±0.2	1.8% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	192 ±91	0.3% ±0.2	1.0% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	68 to 288	0.1% to 0.5%	0.8% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Mercer County among the counties of West Virginia

9th of 55 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the West Virginia page.

Counties of West Virginia near Mercer County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Cabell County	91,183	−3.2%
Wood County	82,385	−2.1%
Raleigh County	71,775	−3.5%
Harrison County	64,221	−2.5%
Jefferson County	63,102	+9.2%
Mercer County	57,503	−3.4%
Putnam County	56,885	−1.0%
Marion County	55,584	−1.2%
Ohio County	40,496	−4.4%
Fayette County	38,165	−5.6%
Wayne County	37,309	−4.0%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026