HomeNew JerseyMercer County
Mercer County, New Jersey: commercial real estate data.
Mercer County, New Jersey has a population of 385,864 across 225 square miles, up 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $56.81 bn in 2024, 9,683 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 456 7(a) approvals worth $253.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Mercer County
How many people live in Mercer County
- Population385,864
- Households144,114
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$100,645
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$1,623 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$377,700
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher45.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree21.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over261,611
- Population under 1884,828
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over61,557
- Share 65 and over16.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64239,479
- Civilian labor force202,808
- Unemployment rate6.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.4 percent
- Rank by population among New Jersey counties12th of 21
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents193rd
Mercer County is the 12th largest of 21 New Jersey counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 16.0 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.24 percent
- Census 2020 base population387,333
- Births, 20244,245
- Deaths, 20243,060
- Natural change, 20241,185
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,719
- Net international migration, 20247,344
- Total net migration, 20244,625
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-16,092
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1406th
The county has grown 1.24 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Mercer County
Where people moving to Mercer County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,698
- People arriving, from those returns14,847
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.05 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$120,760
- Largest single originMercer County Non-migrants (142,329 households)
- Largest single destination (142,329 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County Non-migrants | 142,329 | 281,868 | $18.19 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,689 | 2,765 | $155.0 m |
| Middlesex County | 1,452 | 2,750 | $242.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 757 | 1,235 | $54.4 m |
| Burlington County | 693 | 1,108 | $49.6 m |
| Bucks County | 432 | 697 | $32.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 394 | 642 | $30.4 m |
| Somerset County | 363 | 654 | $53.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Mercer County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Mercer County
What the Mercer County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$56.81 bn
- County GDP, 2023$54.42 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years41.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Jersey counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents104th
- GDP per resident$147,219
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 41.3 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
Who employs people in Mercer County
- Covered employment, annual average264,154
- Establishments reporting11,677
- Average annual pay$90,503
- Average weekly wage$1,740
- Sector 62, employment28,730
- Sector 62, average annual pay$70,701
- Sector 54, employment24,547
- Sector 54, average annual pay$156,393
- Sector 44-45, employment18,517
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$40,342
- Sector 56, employment16,377
- Sector 56, average annual pay$46,418
- Sector 61, employment15,734
- Sector 52, employment14,692
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 28,730 | 2,123 | $70,701 |
| Sector 54 | 24,547 | 1,781 | $156,393 |
| Sector 44-45 | 18,517 | 1,120 | $40,342 |
| Sector 56 | 16,377 | 732 | $46,418 |
| Sector 61 | 15,734 | 244 | $100,981 |
| Sector 52 | 14,692 | 546 | $155,381 |
| Sector 72 | 12,694 | 834 | $29,630 |
| Sector 48-49 | 11,135 | 201 | $50,690 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 28,730 jobs, 10.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Mercer County
What businesses operate in Mercer County
- Establishments, all industries9,683
- Employment at those establishments208,192
- Annual payroll$17.98 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mercer County
What is being built in Mercer County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,026
- Declared construction value permitted$347.2 m
- Single family units authorised827
- Multifamily units authorised1,199
- Multifamily share of units59.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$171,374
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.1
Multifamily is 59.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mercer County
How much SBA lending happens in Mercer County
- 7(a) approvals recorded456
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$253.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$556,138
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,420,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,687
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active77
- Distinct industries receiving approvals150
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms81
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter349
- Franchise loans56
- Franchise share of approvals12.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (30)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (70)
- 504 approvals recorded57
- 504 gross approval dollars$75.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,315,632
- Median 504 approval$758,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval19.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.7
- Most active CDCTrenton Business Assistance Corporation (45)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals88.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$328.6 m
The average approval of $556,138 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 17.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
Do SBA loans in Mercer County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded80
- Paid in full75
- Charged off5
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.3 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure275
- Status: Paid in full75
- Status: Cancelled63
- Status: Charged off5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed38
Of the 80 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
Which parts of Mercer County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending23
- Trenton, approvals116
- Princeton, approvals86
- Hamilton, approvals42
- Ewing, approvals40
- Lawrence Township, approvals36
- EAST WINDSOR, approvals29
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Trenton | 116 | $69,419,700 |
| Princeton | 86 | $43,889,900 |
| Hamilton | 42 | $28,929,300 |
| Ewing | 40 | $14,236,900 |
| Lawrence Township | 36 | $11,951,000 |
| EAST WINDSOR | 29 | $9,318,200 |
| PENNINGTON | 20 | $11,610,100 |
| ROBBINSVILLE | 19 | $14,381,500 |
Trenton accounts for 116 approvals against 86 in Princeton. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
How big is Mercer County
- Land area225 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Jersey counties16th of 21
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south19.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land1,715
- Establishments per square mile43.04
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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population385,864
- Households144,114
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$100,645
- Median age39.5
Common questions
Mercer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mercer County, New Jersey?
385,864, in 144,114 households, ranking 12th of 21 New Jersey counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mercer County growing?
The population has grown 1.24 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,245 births against 3,060 deaths, with net migration of 4,625. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mercer County?
$100,645. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $377,700, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,623 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Mercer County?
9,683 establishments, employing 208,192 people with an annual payroll of $17.98 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Mercer County?
Average annual pay is $90,503, or $1,740 a week, across 264,154 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mercer County?
456 7(a) approvals totalling $253.6 m since FY2020, across 77 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 57 504 approvals worth $75.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Mercer County get paid back?
Of the 80 loans that have reached a final outcome, 75 were paid in full and 5 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Mercer County?
2,026 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $347.2 m. Multifamily was 59.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mercer County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Mercer County come from?
The largest single origin is Mercer County Non-migrants, with 142,329 households. Arriving households report an average income of $120,760 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.