Mercer County, Ohio: commercial real estate data.
Mercer County, Ohio has a population of 42,484 across 462 square miles, up 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.00 bn in 2024, 1,050 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 26 7(a) approvals worth $7.7 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Mercer County
How many people live in Mercer County
- Population42,484
- Households16,408
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$76,782
- Median age39.4
- Median gross rent$804 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$210,600
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over28,245
- Population under 1810,810
- Share under 1825.4 percent
- Population 65 and over8,142
- Share 65 and over19.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6423,532
- Civilian labor force22,054
- Unemployment rate1.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.6 percent
- Rank by population among Ohio counties57th of 88
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1157th
Mercer County is the 57th largest of 88 Ohio counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.4 percent against 19.2 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 base0.28 percent
- Census 2020 base population42,528
- Births, 2024662
- Deaths, 2024437
- Natural change, 2024225
- Net domestic migration, 2024-115
- Net international migration, 202487
- Total net migration, 2024-28
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-767
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1728th
The county has grown 0.28 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
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 arriving608
- People arriving, from those returns1,013
- Adjusted gross income arriving$34.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,849
- Largest single originMercer County Non-migrants (17,336 households)
- Largest single destination (17,336 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County Non-migrants | 17,336 | 36,406 | $1.42 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 175 | 307 | $9.3 m |
| Auglaize County | 145 | 254 | $10.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 89 | 161 | $3.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 76 | 116 | $3.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 53 | 93 | $3.0 m |
| Van Wert County | 42 | 72 | $1.7 m |
| Darke County | 38 | 57 | $2.0 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$4.00 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.35 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202419.2 percent
- GDP change over five years73.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Ohio counties39th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents811th
- GDP per resident$94,036
Output grew 19.2 percent in the latest year and 73.0 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 average20,581
- Establishments reporting1,218
- Average annual pay$50,671
- Average weekly wage$974
- Sector 31-33, employment5,890
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$58,440
- Sector 44-45, employment2,006
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,295
- Sector 72, employment1,388
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,766
- Sector 48-49, employment1,375
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$65,981
- Sector 23, employment1,154
- Sector 81, employment714
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 5,890 | 105 | $58,440 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,006 | 162 | $33,295 |
| Sector 72 | 1,388 | 93 | $16,766 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,375 | 58 | $65,981 |
| Sector 23 | 1,154 | 132 | $62,232 |
| Sector 81 | 714 | 109 | $28,014 |
| Sector 52 | 611 | 53 | $68,216 |
| Sector 54 | 483 | 64 | $69,539 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,890 jobs, 28.6 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 industries1,050
- Employment at those establishments17,679
- Annual payroll$843.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mercer County
What is being built in Mercer County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202486
- Declared construction value permitted$32.6 m
- Single family units authorised80
- Multifamily units authorised6
- Multifamily share of units7.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$378,855
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.2
Multifamily is 7.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mercer County
How much SBA lending happens in Mercer County
- 7(a) approvals recorded26
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$295,373
- Median 7(a) approval$125,000
- 10th percentile approval$36,300
- 90th percentile approval$990,000
- Largest single approval$1,305,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)158
- Jobs per approval6.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals13
- Median 7(a) term120 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 shorter26
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals11.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (5)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (5)
- 504 approvals recorded12
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.8 m
- Average 504 approval$729,167
- Median 504 approval$768,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval10.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.0
- Most active CDCWest Central Partnership, Inc. (11)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals68.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$16.4 m
The average approval of $295,373 sits well above the median of $125,000, 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 0.0 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 recorded5
- Paid in full4
- Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure17
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
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 lending5
- Celina, approvals15
- FORT RECOVERY, approvals6
- Maria Stein, approvals2
- COLDWATER, approvals2
- Saint Henry, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Celina | 15 | $5,897,700 |
| FORT RECOVERY | 6 | $959,000 |
| Maria Stein | 2 | $603,000 |
| COLDWATER | 2 | $95,000 |
| Saint Henry | 1 | $125,000 |
Celina accounts for 15 approvals against 6 in FORT RECOVERY. 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 area462 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Ohio counties36th of 88
- Width, east to west19.6 mi
- Height, north to south25.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land92
- Establishments per square mile2.27
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
What hazards affect Mercer County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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.
- Population42,484
- Households16,408
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$76,782
- Median age39.4
Common questions
Mercer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mercer County, Ohio?
42,484, in 16,408 households, ranking 57th of 88 Ohio counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mercer County growing?
The population has grown 0.28 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 662 births against 437 deaths, with net migration of -28. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mercer County?
$76,782. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $210,600, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $804 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Mercer County?
1,050 establishments, employing 17,679 people with an annual payroll of $843.0 m. 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 $50,671, or $974 a week, across 20,581 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?
26 7(a) approvals totalling $7.7 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $125,000, plus 12 504 approvals worth $8.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Mercer County?
86 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $32.6 m. Multifamily was 7.0 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 17,336 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,849 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.