Mercer County, Kentucky
Among the top 15% of US counties for affordability.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B+, better than 85% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade B, better than 55% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 63% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 27% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 48% of US counties
- top 11% for cost of living
- top 16% for violent crime
- bottom 11% for walkability
Mercer County is a county in Kentucky with about 23,000 residents. It grades B+ for affordability and C for getting around. Standout strengths include cost of living, violent crime, and sales tax. It rates lower on school quality and walkability.
Official websitemercercounty.ky.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot summers · Cold winters · Wet · Light snow
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76%43%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.8 in3.6 in
muggy 90%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$61k51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$42kbetter than 89% of US counties
Home Value$181k61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$720better than 75% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 65% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.82%better than 53% of US counties
Income Tax5.81%better than 26% of US counties
State 4.50% + Local 1.31%
Sales Tax6.00%better than 84% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden10.24%better than 36% of US counties
Unemployment4.5%better than 55% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)34°F48th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)76°F46th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation50.2 in73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall10.2 inbetter than 54% of US counties
Sunny Days230 daysbetter than 41% of US counties
Summer Humidity66°Fbetter than 45% of US counties
Comfortable Days84 daysbetter than 63% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk41.4better than 57% of US counties
School Quality42.3better than 21% of US counties
Violent Crime282/100kbetter than 84% of US counties
Property Crime529/100kbetter than 71% of US counties
Community
Population22,66246th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age43.165th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.1528th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0052nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+4761st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)90.3%73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.5%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)3.3%35th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.2%22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)2.7%32nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time28 minbetter than 25% of US counties
Walkability4.6/20better than 11% of US counties
Airport Distance54 mibetter than 78% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access83.6%better than 52% of US counties
Amenities Nearby3.53better than 58% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 42% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Mercer County an affordable place to live?
- Mercer County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $42k, better than 89% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Mercer County?
- The median home value in Mercer County is $181k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Mercer County?
- Median household income in Mercer County is $61k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Mercer County?
- Median gross rent in Mercer County is $720 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Mercer County safe?
- Mercer County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 282/100k (better than 84%). Property crime is 529/100k.
- What is the weather like in Mercer County?
- Mercer County averages 76°F in July and 34°F in January, with 50.2 in of annual precipitation and about 230 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Mercer County?
- Public-school quality in Mercer County is below average, scoring better than 21% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Mercer County?
- The average one-way commute in Mercer County is 28 min.
Other counties in Kentucky
Explore Kentucky
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)