Mercer County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Mercer County, Missouri had an estimated 3,452 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 3,535, across 454 square miles. County output reached $136.6 m in 2024, 79 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $129,900 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Mercer County
How many people live in Mercer County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20243,482
- Households1,302
- Average household size2.67
- Median household income$62,679
- Median age42.4
- Median gross rent$590 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$104,900
- Home value to household income1.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income11.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,364
- Population under 18854
- Share under 1824.5 percent
- Population 65 and over777
- Share 65 and over22.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,851
- Civilian labor force1,530
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties114th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included3001st of 3,222
Mercer County is the 114th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 1.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.5 percent against 22.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Mercer County
Is Mercer County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20243,452
- Census 2020 base population3,535
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.35 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-47
- Births, 202462
- Deaths, 202440
- Natural change, 202422
- Net domestic migration, 2024-89
- Net international migration, 202421
- Total net migration, 2024-68
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-131
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2578th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.35 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Mercer County
Where are people moving to Mercer County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving76
- People arriving, from those returns127
- Tax returns filed by households leaving85
- Net household movement-9
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-55,000
- Average income of an arriving household$37,461
- Average income of a leaving household$34,141
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $3,320 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Mercer County
What is the Mercer County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$136.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$140.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-2.7 percent
- GDP change over five years31.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Missouri areas BEA publishes114th of 115
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes3006th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$39,230
Output grew -2.7 percent in the latest year and 31.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Mercer County
Employment by industry in Mercer County
- Covered employment, annual average814
- Establishments reporting122
- Average annual pay$44,042
- Average weekly wage$847
- Retail trade, employment70
- Retail trade, average annual pay$24,127
- Health care and social assistance, employment65
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$31,617
- Construction, employment29
- Construction, average annual pay$50,459
- Finance and insurance, employment23
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$44,164
- Manufacturing, employment9
- Real estate and rental and leasing, employment6
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 70 | 11 | $24,127 |
| Health care and social assistance | 65 | 6 | $31,617 |
| Construction | 29 | 10 | $50,459 |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 7 | $44,164 |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 4 | $36,195 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 6 | 4 | $19,506 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 70 jobs, 8.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Mercer County
How many businesses are in Mercer County?
- Establishments, all industries79
- Employment at those establishments384
- Annual payroll$15.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mercer County
Building permits in Mercer County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mercer County
SBA loans in Mercer County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$129,900
- Average 7(a) approval$32,475
- Median 7(a) approval$37,000
- Largest single approval$45,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)8
- Jobs per approval2.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term48 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (4)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Mercer County
Do SBA loans in Mercer County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full2
- Charged off2
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Charged off2
Only 4 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
SBA lending by place in Mercer County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Princeton, approvals3
- Mercer, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Princeton | 3 | $84,900 |
| Mercer | 1 | $45,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
How large is Mercer County?
- Land area454 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties95th of 115
- Width, east to west21.4 mi
- Height, north to south21.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land8
- Establishments per square mile0.17
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mercer County
Flood risk in Mercer County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Mercer County, unincorporated areasNot participating, community 290818
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate25.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Mercer County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Mercer County (community 290818), does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Mercer County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 25.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Mercer County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Mercer County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20243,482
- Households1,302
- Average household size2.67
- Median household income$62,679
- Median age42.4
Common questions
Mercer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mercer County, Missouri?
The Census Bureau estimates 3,452 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 3,482, in 1,302 households, ranking 114th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mercer County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.35 percent since the 2020 census base of 3,535, to 3,452 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 62 births against 40 deaths, with net migration of -68. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mercer County?
$62,679. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $104,900, which is 1.7 times income, and median gross rent is $590 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Mercer County?
79 establishments, employing 384 people with an annual payroll of $15.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Mercer County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 70 jobs, 8.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 814 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,042, or $847 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mercer County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $129,900 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $37,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Mercer County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mercer County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Are traffic counts available for Mercer County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Mercer County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Mercer County
Cities and places in Mercer.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Mercer County. All 4 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | city | 1,352 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Mercer | town | 325 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Ravanna | CDP | 68 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Lineville | town | 16 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby