Mercer County, Kentucky's estimated 2024 population is 23,294 with a growth rate of 0.85% in the past year according to the most recent United States census data. Mercer County, Kentucky is the 50th largest county in Kentucky. The 2010 population was 21,318 and has seen a growth of 9.27% since that time.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 24,279 | 197 | 0.82% |
| 2028 | 24,082 | 197 | 0.82% |
| 2027 | 23,885 | 197 | 0.83% |
| 2026 | 23,688 | 197 | 0.84% |
| 2025 | 23,491 | 197 | 0.85% |
| 2024 | 23,294 | 197 | 0.85% |
| 2023 | 23,097 | 197 | 0.86% |
| 2022 | 22,900 | 40 | 0.17% |
| 2021 | 22,860 | 205 | 0.9% |
| 2020 | 22,655 | 734 | 3.35% |
| 2019 | 21,921 | 247 | 1.14% |
| 2018 | 21,674 | 117 | 0.54% |
| 2017 | 21,557 | 149 | 0.7% |
| 2016 | 21,408 | 25 | 0.12% |
| 2015 | 21,383 | 18 | 0.08% |
| 2014 | 21,365 | 65 | 0.31% |
| 2013 | 21,300 | -33 | -0.15% |
| 2012 | 21,333 | 46 | 0.22% |
| 2011 | 21,287 | -31 | -0.15% |
| 2010 | 21,318 | 0 | 0% |
| 1990 | 19,148 | 137 | 0.72% |
| 1980 | 19,011 | 3,051 | 19.12% |
| 1970 | 15,960 | 1,364 | 9.35% |
| 1960 | 14,596 | -47 | -0.32% |
| 1950 | 14,643 | 14 | 0.1% |
| 1940 | 14,629 | 158 | 1.09% |
| 1930 | 14,471 | -324 | -2.19% |
| 1920 | 14,795 | 732 | 5.21% |
| 1910 | 14,063 | -363 | -2.52% |
| 1900 | 14,426 | -608 | -4.04% |
| 1890 | 15,034 | 892 | 6.31% |
| 1880 | 14,142 | 998 | 7.59% |
| 1870 | 13,144 | -557 | -4.07% |
| 1860 | 13,701 | -366 | -2.6% |
| 1850 | 14,067 | -4,653 | -24.86% |
| 1840 | 18,720 | 1,026 | 5.8% |
| 1830 | 17,694 | 2,107 | 13.52% |
| 1820 | 15,587 | 2,957 | 23.41% |
| 1810 | 12,630 | 2,984 | 30.94% |
| 1800 | 9,646 | 2,555 | 36.03% |
| 1790 | 7,091 | -17,188 | -70.79% |
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 20,803 | 91.15% |
| Black or African American | 813 | 3.56% |
| Two or more races | 787 | 3.45% |
| Other race | 304 | 1.33% |
| Asian | 60 | 0.26% |
| Native American | 57 | 0.25% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 9,137 | 2.48 | 77.1 | 22.9 |
| Married | 4,640 | 3.29 | 89.2 | 10.8 |
| Non Family | 3,416 | 1.15 | 67.8 | 32.2 |
| Female | 658 | 3.33 | 57.4 | 42.6 |
| Male | 423 | 2.94 | 50.8 | 49.2 |
3.2
Average Family Size
2.48
Average Household Size
77.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 799 | 5.01% |
| Associates Degree | 1,776 | 11.14% |
| Bachelors Degree | 2,162 | 13.56% |
| Graduate Degree | 1,417 | 8.89% |
| High School Graduate | 5,520 | 34.63% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 622 | 3.9% |
| Some College | 3,645 | 22.87% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 14,711 | 13,506 | 3,330 |
| Black | 612 | 593 | 173 |
| Hispanic | 389 | 214 | 30 |
| 2+ Races | 261 | 238 | 46 |
| Other Race | 229 | 125 | 30 |
| Native American | 18 | 17 | 0 |
| Asian | 15 | 0 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among black people with a rate of 96.9%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among black people with a rate of 28.27%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $60,057 | $84,107 | $51,818 |
| Graduate Degree | $65,426 | $56,818 | $65,745 |
| High School Graduate | $37,415 | $42,783 | $31,678 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $21,250 | $16,715 | $57,908 |
| Overall | $42,363 | $44,950 | $39,041 |
| Some College | $40,466 | $50,588 | $37,684 |
$42,363
Average Earnings
$44,950
Average Male
$39,041
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
96.07% of Mercer County, Kentucky residents speak only English, while 3.93% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 2.5% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 20,340 | 2,225 | 10.94% |
| Black | 801 | 150 | 18.73% |
| Hispanic | 727 | 111 | 15.27% |
| Multiple | 783 | 60 | 7.66% |
| Other | 304 | 59 | 19.41% |
| Native | 57 | 31 | 54.39% |
| Asian | 49 | 15 | 30.61% |
11.35%
Overall Poverty Rate
10.48%
Male Poverty Rate
12.23%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Mercer County, Kentucky is Native, with 54.39% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Mercer County, Kentucky is Multiple, with 7.66% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.72%. Among those working part-time, it was 12.29%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 18.48%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 22.51% |
| High School | 12.75% |
| Some College | 8% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 3.71% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 18.02% |
| Female Unemployed | 11.58% |
| Female Employed | 7.64% |
| Male Employed | 1.92% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $84,164 | $99,448 |
| Households | $63,115 | $78,790 |
| Married Families | $92,712 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $36,377 | $41,714 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
53.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
55.3%
Male Marriage Rate
51.4%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 35-44, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,343
Number of Veterans
1,285
Male Veterans
58
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 420 |
| First Gulf War | 343 |
| Second Gulf War | 240 |
| Korea | 42 |
| World War II | 11 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 385 |
| 65 to 74 | 325 |
| 35 to 54 | 279 |
| 55 to 64 | 264 |
| 18 to 34 | 90 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,188 | 7.29% |
| Black | 116 | 16.76% |
| 2+ Races | 17 | 4.31% |
| Native American | 11 | 34.38% |
| Other Race | 11 | 3.85% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
14.21%
Veteran Poverty Rate
32.63%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
57.7%
Labor Force Participation
55.9%
Employment Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
77.35%
Born in Mercer County, Kentucky
97.18%
Native Born
2.82%
Foreign Born
1.93%
Non Citizen
0.89%
Naturalized
97.18% of Mercer County, Kentucky residents were born in the United States, with 77.35% having been born in Kentucky. 1.93% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.