Mercer County, KY

County

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2021 Population

22,470

3.6% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

42.8

0.926% 1-year decrease

2021 Poverty Rate

12%

8.51% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$53,750

2.75% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$159,300

6.98% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Mercer County, KY had a population of 22.5k people with a median age of 42.8 and a median household income of $53,750. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Mercer County, KY grew from 21,690 to 22,470, a 3.6% increase and its median household income grew from $52,312 to $53,750, a 2.75% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Mercer County, KY are White (Non-Hispanic) (90.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.79%), White (Hispanic) (1.77%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.54%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.04%).

None of the households in Mercer County, KY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.9% of the residents in Mercer County, KY are U.S. citizens.

In 2021, the median property value in Mercer County, KY was $159,300, and the homeownership rate was 73.2%.

Most people in Mercer County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28 minutes. The average car ownership in Mercer County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Mercer County, KY borders Anderson County, KY, Boyle County, KY, Garrard County, KY, Jessamine County, KY, Washington County, KY, and Woodford County, KY.

United States Kentucky

Population & Diversity

Mercer County, KY is home to a population of 22.5k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2021, 2.59% of Mercer County, KY residents were born outside of the country (582 people).

In 2021, there were 24 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20.4k people) in Mercer County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 851 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 397 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

97.9%

2021 Citizenship

97.7%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 97.9% of Mercer County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Mercer County, KY was 97.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Mercer County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Mercer County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
20.4k ± 26
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
851 ± 112
White (Hispanic)
397 ± 178

3.13%

Hispanic Population

704 people

3.13% of the people in Mercer County, KY are hispanic (704 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Mercer County, KY as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

2.59%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

582 people

2.69%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

584 people

As of 2021, 2.59% of Mercer County, KY residents (582 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Mercer County, KY was 2.69%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Mercer County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
476 ± 119
Gulf War (2001-)
344 ± 145
Gulf War (1990s)
195 ± 93

Mercer County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Mercer County, KY employs 9.81k people. The largest industries in Mercer County, KY are Manufacturing (2,019 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,538 people), and Retail Trade (1,097 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($54,015), Educational Services ($49,449), and Manufacturing ($49,003).

Employment

Occupations

9.81k

2021 Value

± 795

1.78%

1 Year growth

± 11%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Mercer County, KY grew at a rate of 1.78%, from 9.64k employees to 9.81k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Mercer County, KY, are Production Occupations (1,253 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,192 people), and Management Occupations (730 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Mercer County, KY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

9.81k

2021 Value

± 795

1.78%

1 Year growth

± 11%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Mercer County, KY grew at a rate of 1.78%, from 9.64k employees to 9.81k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Mercer County, KY, are Manufacturing (2,019 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,538 people), and Retail Trade (1,097 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Mercer County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Mercer County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,542

Median earning men ± $8,140

$31,762

Median earning women ± $2,815

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($53,452), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($53,074), and Manufacturing ($48,313).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($63,333), Wholesale Trade ($51,786), and Manufacturing ($50,406).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

94
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
90
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
89
Other Services, Except Public Administration

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Kentucky product (by dollars) was Motorized vehicles with $57.5B, followed by Electronics ($36.5B) and Machinery ($28.4B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Kentucky products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Kentucky.

$330B

2020 Value in Kentucky

$644B

Projected 2050 Value in Kentucky

95% growth

In 2020, total outbound Kentucky trade was $330B. This is expected to increase 95% to $644B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Kentucky trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Most Common Trade Partners

Tennessee
$27.7B
California
$19B
Ohio
$17.7B

In 2020, the top outbound Kentucky domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Tennessee with $27.7B, followed by California with $19B and Ohio and $17.7B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Kentucky shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Mercer County, KY went to Donald J. Trump with 72.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (25.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.19%).

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (72.5%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (25.8%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.19%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Mercer County, KY for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Mitch McConnell

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 1985

Rand Paul

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Kentucky

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Kentucky have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Measure

In 2021, 0.789% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.712% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.17M), Some college (777k), and Secondary Education (561k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Mercer County, KY was $159,300 in 2021, which is 0.65 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $148,900 to $159,300, a 6.98% increase. The homeownership rate in Mercer County, KY is 73.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Mercer County, KY have an average commute time of 28 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Mercer County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Mercer County, KY is $53,750. In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Mercer County, KY was Census Tract 9601 with a value of $78,209, followed by Census Tract 9605 and Census Tract 9602, with respective values of $58,264 and $52,744.

Property

$159,300

Median Property Value 2021

±$6,571

$6,521

Median Property Taxes

±$553

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Mercer County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Mercer County, KY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.2%

Homeownership

2021

64.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 73.2% of the housing units in Mercer County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Mercer County, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9601
Census Tract 9605
Census Tract 9602

In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Mercer County, KY was Census Tract 9601 with a value of $78,209, followed by Census Tract 9605 and Census Tract 9602, with respective values of $58,264 and $52,744.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Mercer County, KY colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$53,750

Median Household Income

± $2,075

8.91k

Number of Households

± 708

In 2021, the median household income of the 8.91k households in Mercer County, KY grew to $53,750 from the previous year's value of $52,312.

The following chart displays the households in Mercer County, KY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Mercer County, KY is from Kentucky.

0.453

2021 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.454

2020 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2021, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.453 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.236% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (80.5%)
Carpooled (12.3%)
Worked At Home (6.36%)

In 2021, 80.5% of workers in Mercer County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.3%) and those who worked at home (6.36%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

28 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Mercer County, KY have a longer commute time (28 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 3.69% of the workforce in Mercer County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Mercer County, KY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Mercer County, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Mercer County, KY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Mercer County, KY (2.68k out of 22.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Mercer County, KY is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94% of the population of Mercer County, KY has health coverage, with 42.8% on employee plans, 21% on Medicaid, 15.1% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 1.76% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Mercer County, KY see 4387 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.735% increase from the previous year (4355 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4378 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 811 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,387 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Mercer County, KY

Primary care physicians in Mercer County, KY see an average of 4,387 patients per year. This represents a 0.735% increase from the previous year (4,355 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Mercer County, KY in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.4% under 18 years, 18.4% between 18 and 34 years, 39.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.05%

Uninsured

42.8%

Employer Coverage

21%

Medicaid

15.1%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

1.76%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Mercer County, KY declined by 7.08% from 6.51% to 6.05%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Mercer County, KY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2022, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was N/A in Mercer County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Mercer County, KY.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 35.7% in Mercer County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Mercer County, KY.

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