1st Advantage MortgageThe median Mercer County household earns $59,976, and 13% of residents live below the poverty line. A loan makes sense only if its total cost beats your alternatives and the payment fits your budget. Check the lender's Pennsylvania license first.
On this page
- A quick profile of Mercer County
- Housing costs in Mercer County
- Paychecks and income spread in Mercer County
- How Mercer County residents earn a living
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Mercer County
- Neighboring counties at a glance
- Who lives in Mercer County, in numbers
- What the numbers mean for Mercer County borrowers
- Debt-to-income at Mercer County's medians
- A Mercer County borrower's checklist
- Checking a lender's license in Pennsylvania
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
A quick profile of Mercer County
Mercer County is home to about 109,257 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 30th most populous of 67 county-level areas in Pennsylvania. It covers 673 square miles of land, or about 162 people per square mile. No metropolitan area includes Mercer County in the 2023 federal delineation, so its numbers stand on their own rather than as part of a metro. Hermitage is the biggest of its 19 Census places, at roughly 16,041 people (15% of the county total).
Housing costs in Mercer County
Renters in Mercer County pay a median of $843 a month, 30% below the Pennsylvania figure of $1,209. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 46% of renter households here. With a median value of $164,000, a typical Mercer County house costs 2.7 times what the median household earns in a year. The ownership rate is 72%.
| Measure | Mercer County | Pennsylvania | Median U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $843/mo | $1,209/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $164,000 | $254,500 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 72% | 69% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 46% | 48% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 20% | 24% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Mercer County, many borrowers can also choose a home equity loan or line of credit. Those can price lower but put the house on the line, so compare the two in writing; our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through it.
Paychecks and income spread in Mercer County
Half of Mercer County households take in less than $59,976 a year and half take in more, 23% below the Pennsylvania median of $77,971. That places it 61st among Pennsylvania's 67 county-level areas.
| Households earning | Mercer County | +/- vs Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 28.4% | +6.4 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 43.9% | +4.8 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 23.1% | -3.9 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 4.6% | -7.2 pts |
The spread is wide: 28% of Mercer County households make $100,000 or more, and 28% make less than $35,000. Census counts 13.2% of Mercer County residents in poverty, against 11.7% across Pennsylvania. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.442 here. None of these numbers decides a Mercer County application. Lenders weigh your own documented income against your own debts.
How Mercer County residents earn a living
The biggest employer of Mercer County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 27% of workers, followed by manufacturing (16%). Compared with Pennsylvania, the county leans toward manufacturing (16% against 11%). ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 5.3% in Mercer County. Long commutes are the exception here: 11% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Households without a car make up 9.6% of the total (10.4% statewide).
| Top industries | Mercer County share | +/- vs Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 27.4% | +0.7 pts |
| Manufacturing | 15.9% | +4.5 pts |
| Retail trade | 12.2% | +1.2 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 7.9% | -3.4 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 7.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Construction | 6.5% | +0.5 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Mercer County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
Cities, towns and CDPs in Mercer County
19 Census places fall mainly inside Mercer County; the 14 biggest are below. They account for 60,638 residents, leaving about 44% of the county in unincorporated, unnamed areas. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $40,536 in Wheatland to $94,167 in Lake Latonka. This guide covers each of the 19 places and the rural areas around them.
| Place | Type | Population | Median income | Median rent | From county center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermitage | city | 16,041 | $70,052 | $896 | 11 mi |
| Sharon | city | 12,936 | $45,670 | $827 | 14 mi |
| Grove City | borough | 7,830 | $57,169 | $906 | 13 mi |
| Greenville | borough | 5,523 | $52,661 | $626 | 10 mi |
| Farrell | city | 4,199 | $42,595 | $902 | 14 mi |
| Sharpsville | borough | 4,187 | $51,439 | $835 | 12 mi |
| Mercer | borough | 2,006 | $47,054 | $660 | 5 mi |
| Reynolds Heights | CDP | 1,845 | $51,181 | $700 | 8 mi |
| West Middlesex | borough | 980 | $89,667 | $713 | 14 mi |
| Wheatland | borough | 819 | $40,536 | $613 | 14 mi |
| Stoneboro | borough | 785 | $50,625 | $847 | 7 mi |
| Sandy Lake | borough | 783 | $83,875 | $751 | 9 mi |
| Jamestown | borough | 683 | $44,688 | $808 | 16 mi |
| Lake Latonka | CDP | 651 | $94,167 | n/a | 4 mi |
CDPs are unincorporated communities the Census Bureau defines for counting.
Neighboring counties at a glance
Nearest neighbors first, measured between county centers (22 to 34 miles). 4 of the six report a higher median household income than Mercer County; Butler County is highest at $89,843 and Trumbull County lowest at $56,435. The list crosses into Ohio, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County | - | $59,976 | $843/mo | 72% |
| Lawrence County, PA | 22 mi | $61,931 | $831/mo | 76% |
| Venango County, PA | 26 mi | $61,522 | $795/mo | 75% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 27 mi | $56,435 | $797/mo | 71% |
| Crawford County, PA | 28 mi | $60,476 | $802/mo | 75% |
| Butler County, PA | 32 mi | $89,843 | $1,041/mo | 77% |
| Mahoning County, OH | 34 mi | $56,942 | $791/mo | 70% |
Who lives in Mercer County, in numbers
26% of Mercer County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. The uninsured rate is 6.4%, against 5.6% for Pennsylvania.
| Mercer County | Pennsylvania | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.1 | 40.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 25.6% | 35.2% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 8.3% | 7.9% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 6.4% | 5.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 9.6% | 10.4% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 15.6% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 11.7% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 5.3% | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 41.9% |
| 15 to 29 min | 32.3% |
| 30 to 44 min | 14.8% |
| 45 to 59 min | 5.1% |
| 60+ min | 5.9% |
What the numbers mean for Mercer County borrowers
A few patterns in the Mercer County data, and the practical point behind each:
- Fixed incomes. Mercer County's median age is 45.1. Social Security and pensions count as income when documented.
- Tight rental budgets. With 46% of Mercer County renters cost-burdened, test a new payment against a lean month.
- Credit reports. Pull free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute errors before applying.
Debt-to-income at Mercer County's medians
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Mercer County's medians:
- Median income divided by twelve: $4,998 before taxes
- Housing at the median rent of $843 uses 17%
- $1,306: what a 43% ratio leaves once rent is paid
Subtract what you already pay on other debts. A new payment should fit in what remains, with some to spare.
A Mercer County borrower's checklist
A short checklist for Mercer County borrowers:
- Size the loan to the bill, not to the most a lender offers.
- Shop at least three lenders, including one Mercer County-area credit union.
- Check the license, then the reviews, then the offer.
- Read the final agreement; it must match the offer.
Checking a lender's license in Pennsylvania
Mercer County borrowers fall under statewide rules, enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. The Pennsylvania guide covers state rules in more detail.
Nearby and statewide guides
The Pennsylvania guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Mercer County?
$59,976 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $77,971 for Pennsylvania. It ranks 61st of 67 in the state.
What do renters pay in Mercer County?
$843 a month at the median, about 17% of median household income.
Which towns does the Mercer County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 19 Census places: Hermitage, Sharon, Grove City, Greenville, Farrell.
Will a Mercer County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Pennsylvania as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.
Where can someone in Mercer County check a lender's license?
With the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. If a lender is unlicensed or asks for a fee before funding, walk away.