Mercer County, Pennsylvania


Mercer County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 110,652. Its county seat is Mercer, and its largest city is Hermitage. The county is part of the Northwest Pennsylvania region of the state.
Mercer County compromises the Hermitage, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
WWW mcc.co.mercer.pa.us𝕏 MercerCountyPAFB MercerCountyPA

History

Mercer County was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It has a humid continental climate and average monthly temperatures in Sharon range from 27.1 °F in January to 72.2 °F in July, while in Mercer borough they range from 25.4 °F in January to 70.1 °F in July. Mercer County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 110,652 and a median age of 45.1 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 88.1% White, 5.8% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.
52.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 47.9% lived in rural areas.
There were 45,478 households in the county, of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.2% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 50,828 housing units, of which 10.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.1% were owner-occupied and 27.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 111,507106,17696,99892.69%91.03%87.66%
Black or African American alone 6,2796,6206,2895.21%5.67%5.68%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 1131321160.09%0.11%0.10%
Asian alone 4777266830.39%0.62%0.61%
Pacific Islander alone 2115140.01%0.01%0.01%
Other race alone 851033420.07%0.08%0.30%
Mixed race or Multiracial 1,0081,6184,6010.83%1.38%4.15%
Hispanic or Latino 8031,2481,6090.66%1.06%1.45%
Total120,293116,638110,652100.00%100.00%100.00%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 120,293 people, 46,712 households, and 32,371 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 49,859 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 93.13% White, 5.25% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. 0.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 37.7% were of German, 20.0% Irish, 14.9% Italian, 12.0% English, 6.4% American, 6.2% Polish, 3.7% Scotch-Irish, 3.3% Dutch ancestry.
There were 46,712 households, out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.

Government and politics

Voter registration

As of June 12, 2023, there are 70,553 registered voters in the county. Republicans hold a plurality of voters by a margin of 10,354 voters. There are 35,735 registered Republicans, 25,381 registered Democrats, 7,319 registered non-affiliated voters, and 2,118 voters registered to third parties.

Political bellwether

Mercer County was previously considered a political bellwether for the state of Pennsylvania since its demographics, urban-rural ratio, and party affiliation once closely mirrored the state as a whole. In 2000, Al Gore carried it against George W. Bush. This trend failed to hold true in 2004 and 2008, in which Mercer County voted more conservatively than the rest of the state. In 2004, Bush won Mercer County with 51% of the vote. That year, John Kerry won the state as a whole with 51% of the popular vote. In 2008, John McCain won Mercer County by fewer than 200 votes, as he and Barack Obama each received roughly 49% of the popular vote. Obama won Pennsylvania as a whole with 55% of the popular vote. Each of the three statewide office winners also carried Mercer in 2008. In 2016, Donald Trump won Mercer County by 12,403 votes, and he also won all of Pennsylvania. Each of the three Republican candidates for statewide office carried Mercer County in 2016. In 2020, Trump again carried the county, despite Pennsylvania narrowly voting for Joe Biden. Trump won 62% of the vote, the largest majority for any major party candidate since 1964, and the largest majority for a Republican since 1928.. In 2024, Trump won the county for a third time, receiving 64.45% of the vote, and breaking the record set in the last election.

County officials

OfficeOfficialParty
President Judge of Court of Common PleasDaniel P. WallaceRepublican
Judge of Court of Common PleasD. Neil McEwenRepublican
Judge of Court of Common PleasTedd C. NesbitRepublican
Judge of Court of Common PleasRonald D. Amrhein Jr.Republican
Clerk of Courts/Register of WillsMary Jo Basilone DePretaRepublican
District AttorneyPete AckerRepublican
CoronerJohn A. LibonatiRepublican
SheriffBruce RosaRepublican
TreasurerAmber WhiteRepublican
ProthonotaryRuth BiceRepublican
Recorder of DeedsDee Dee ZickarRepublican
ControllerSteve ShermanRepublican

Education

Higher education

Career-based education

Public school districts

Charter schools

  • Keystone Education Center Charter School, Greenville, PA. 256 pupils grades 7–12 Report Card 2010.

Private schools

Recreation

There is one Pennsylvania state park in Mercer County. Maurice K. Goddard State Park, named for Maurice K. Goddard, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, is just off exit 130 of Interstate 79 on Pennsylvania Route 358 near Stoneboro.
The Wendell August Forge, the last remaining working forge in the state, was open to the public for tours, but it burned down on March 6, 2010. It has since reopened in new facilities.
Mercer County Court House built in 1909.

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: [List of List of cities in Pennsylvania|cities in Pennsylvania|cities], [List of List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania|towns and List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania|boroughs in Pennsylvania|boroughs], [List of List of townships in Pennsylvania|townships in Pennsylvania|townships], and, in one case, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Mercer County:

Cities

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Former communities

  • Hickory Township, which became the Municipality of Hermitage in 1976, and then the City of Hermitage in 1984.
  • [Mahoning Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania|Lawrence County, Pennsylvania|Mahoning Township], was part of Mercer County from 1806 until 1849, when Lawrence County was created.
  • Neshannock Township, was part of Mercer County from the county's creation in 1803 until 1849, when Lawrence County was created.
  • New Castle Borough, which was part of Mercer County from 1825 until 1849, when it joined Lawrence County and became its county seat.
  • Pulaski Township, which was part of Mercer County from 1846 until 1849, when Lawrence County was created.
  • Wheatland, which was annexed by the City of Hermitage in 2024.

Mixed Nomenclature

  • Borough of Greenville, is interchangeably designated as Town of Greenville with exact municipal designation currently unclear.

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census and 2020 census of Mercer County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation
Population
1HermitageCity16,41316,231
2SharonCity14,02113,150
3Grove CityBorough8,3347,884
4GreenvilleBorough5,9535,540
5FarrellCity4,9534,259
6SharpsvilleBorough4,4174,252
7† 'MercerBorough2,0421,985
8Reynolds HeightsCDP2,0611,974
9Lake LatonkaCDP1,012951
10StoneboroBorough1,051947
11West MiddlesexBorough863816
12Sandy LakeBorough657650
13WheatlandBorough632583
14JamestownBorough617582
15ClarkBorough640575
16FredoniaBorough494435
17Jackson CenterBorough224191
18New LebanonBorough189185
19Sheakleyville'Borough142150