Population 1,417 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mercer
Household size in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.94 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.87 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.96 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.90 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Mercer is a place of small households, averaging 1.90 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.1 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 59.2 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 60.2 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 63.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +12.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 63.8, Mercer is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 51.1, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Mercer: 4.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Mercer
Renters in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −17.1 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Mercer is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than half of owners (53.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 62.0% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 65.5% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 67.3% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 59.8% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 59.8% of the housing in Mercer, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Mercer was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Wisconsin overall, where the median home dates to 1974.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $535 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $547 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $656 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $334 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$201 | +$380 | +$606 |
Rent in Mercer runs $334 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 21.2% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Mercer
Bachelor's degrees in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.3% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +19.9 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Mercer as nationally: 35.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.0% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.6% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.0% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.7% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Mercer is above the national rate: 93.7% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Wisconsin.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Mercer
| Period | Mercer | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.1% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.2 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Mercer has been low: just 1.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Mercer compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 1.90 | 63.8 | 4.3% | 9.5% | 59.8% | 1982 | $334 | 35.3% | 93.7% | 1.1% |
| Pine Lake | 1.90 | 62.5 | 3.9% | 10.9% | 57.6% | 1982 | $383 | 35.8% | 92.8% | 1.0% |
| Winchester | 2.02 | 64.4 | 2.0% | 7.5% | 62.9% | 1982 | $987 | 39.4% | 95.9% | 4.8% |
| Manitowish Waters | 1.92 | 62.9 | 4.7% | 13.6% | 62.3% | 1978 | $1,146 | 42.2% | 97.2% | 3.8% |
| Powell | 2.27 | 50.0 | 14.2% | 24.8% | 52.9% | 1982 | $717 | 27.3% | 95.3% | 9.3% |
| Springstead | 1.89 | 63.3 | 6.9% | 6.9% | 62.1% | 1979 | $692 | 26.6% | 96.4% | 1.9% |
| Van Buskirk | 1.94 | 59.3 | 6.9% | 8.9% | 51.4% | 1979 | $587 | 32.1% | 93.8% | 1.6% |
| Presque Isle | 1.94 | 63.7 | 2.7% | 12.0% | 67.8% | 1981 | $1,099 | 38.9% | 96.6% | 5.9% |
| Lac Du Flambeau | 2.34 | 48.7 | 14.6% | 25.7% | 54.3% | 1983 | $755 | 29.2% | 95.4% | 9.4% |
| Iron Belt | 2.02 | 52.0 | 13.1% | 5.4% | 37.8% | 1971 | $1,029 | 23.6% | 96.0% | 3.0% |
| Gile | 2.26 | 43.4 | 16.6% | 9.2% | 28.1% | 1955 | $790 | 22.6% | 96.6% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Silk Hope, NC · Fort Thompson, SD · Frederic, MI · Frierson, LA · George, IA · Germantown, KY · Gibbon, MN · Girardville, PA · Gleason, WI · Harned, KY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Mercer. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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