HomeWest VirginiaMercer County
Mercer County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Mercer County, West Virginia has a population of 58,563 across 419 square miles, down 3.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.34 bn in 2024, 1,154 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 24 7(a) approvals worth $6.2 m.
109 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Mercer County
How many people live in Mercer County
- Population58,563
- Households24,224
- Average household size2.42
- Median household income$53,210
- Median age43.5
- Median gross rent$810 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$121,700
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over41,567
- Population under 1812,204
- Share under 1820.8 percent
- Population 65 and over13,393
- Share 65 and over22.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6432,966
- Civilian labor force23,974
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over51.7 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties9th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents911th
Mercer County is the 9th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.9 percent against 20.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
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 base-3.57 percent
- Census 2020 base population59,654
- Births, 2024503
- Deaths, 2024912
- Natural change, 2024-409
- Net domestic migration, 2024-140
- Net international migration, 202466
- Total net migration, 2024-74
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-165
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2831st
The county has lost 3.57 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
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 arriving964
- People arriving, from those returns1,764
- Adjusted gross income arriving$37.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$38,919
- Largest single originMercer County Non-migrants (20,169 households)
- Largest single destination (20,169 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County Non-migrants | 20,169 | 40,918 | $1.09 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 525 | 960 | $21.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 389 | 711 | $15.8 m |
| Tazewell County | 134 | 260 | $5.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 88 | 135 | $3.1 m |
| McDowell County | 85 | 154 | $2.9 m |
| Raleigh County | 60 | 116 | $2.7 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 47 | 85 | $1.8 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$2.34 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.26 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.2 percent
- GDP change over five years31.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties13th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1155th
- GDP per resident$39,898
Output grew 3.2 percent in the latest year and 31.4 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 average19,314
- Establishments reporting1,682
- Average annual pay$50,193
- Average weekly wage$965
- Sector 62, employment4,600
- Sector 62, average annual pay$55,208
- Sector 44-45, employment2,822
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,077
- Sector 72, employment2,050
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,897
- Sector 31-33, employment936
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$60,321
- Sector 56, employment823
- Sector 23, employment734
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 4,600 | 413 | $55,208 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,822 | 218 | $37,077 |
| Sector 72 | 2,050 | 118 | $20,897 |
| Sector 31-33 | 936 | 50 | $60,321 |
| Sector 56 | 823 | 100 | $47,361 |
| Sector 23 | 734 | 96 | $57,554 |
| Sector 42 | 694 | 72 | $72,551 |
| Sector 81 | 519 | 105 | $44,357 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,600 jobs, 23.8 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 industries1,154
- Employment at those establishments17,231
- Annual payroll$793.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.7
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, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$1.2 m
- Single family units authorised4
- Multifamily units authorised5
- Multifamily share of units55.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$134,995
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.4
Multifamily is 55.6 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 recorded24
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$257,925
- Median 7(a) approval$125,800
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$335,000
- Largest single approval$2,665,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)139
- Jobs per approval5.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals17
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer8.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter22
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSite Preparation Contractors (3)
- Most active lenderFirst Community Bank (13)
The average approval of $257,925 sits well above the median of $125,800, 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 8.3 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.
Mercer County
Do SBA loans in Mercer County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure17
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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
- PRINCETON, approvals14
- Bluefield, approvals6
- Lerona, approvals2
- ROCK, approvals1
- ATHENS, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| PRINCETON | 14 | $1,367,500 |
| Bluefield | 6 | $4,247,700 |
| Lerona | 2 | $230,000 |
| ROCK | 1 | $65,500 |
| ATHENS | 1 | $279,500 |
PRINCETON accounts for 14 approvals against 6 in Bluefield. 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 area419 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties28th of 55
- Width, east to west28.2 mi
- Height, north to south24.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land140
- Establishments per square mile2.75
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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.
- Population58,563
- Households24,224
- Average household size2.42
- Median household income$53,210
- Median age43.5
Common questions
Mercer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mercer County, West Virginia?
58,563, in 24,224 households, ranking 9th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mercer County growing?
The population has fallen 3.57 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 503 births against 912 deaths, with net migration of -74. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mercer County?
$53,210. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $121,700, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $810 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Mercer County?
1,154 establishments, employing 17,231 people with an annual payroll of $793.8 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 $50,193, or $965 a week, across 19,314 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?
24 7(a) approvals totalling $6.2 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $125,800. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Mercer County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.2 m. Multifamily was 55.6 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 20,169 households. Arriving households report an average income of $38,919 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.