Mercer, Pennsylvania

Mercer is a borough in and the county seat of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States.^[4] The population was 1,982 at the 2020 census.^[5] It is part of the Hermitage micropolitan area.

Mercer, Pennsylvania
Borough
Mercer County Courthouse (1909)
Etymology: Hugh Mercer
Motto:  "Meet Me In Mercer"
Location of Mercer in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
Mercer Show map of Pennsylvania Mercer Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 41°13′35″N 80°14′15″W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Mercer
Established	1803
Incorporated (borough)	1814
Government
• Mayor	Richard Konzen (D)
Area [1]
• Total	1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2)
• Land	1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2] (Mercer County Courthouse)	1,280 ft (390 m)
Highest elevation [2] (Mercer County Courthouse)	1,280 ft (390 m)
Lowest elevation [2] (Neshannock Creek)	1,075 ft (328 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	1,982
• Density	1,713.05/sq mi (661.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC-4 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (EDT)
Zip code	16137
Area code	724

The community was named after Brigadier General Hugh Mercer. The Mercer County Court House and Christiana Lindsey House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[6]

Geography

Mercer is located at 41°13′35″N 80°14′15″W (41.226347, -80.237436).^[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all land.

Demographics

Businesses on Pitt Street

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	506		—
1830	656		29.6%
1840	781		19.1%
1850	1,004		28.6%
1860	1,249		24.4%
1870	1,235		−1.1%
1880	2,344		89.8%
1890	2,138		−8.8%
1900	1,804		−15.6%
1910	2,026		12.3%
1920	1,932		−4.6%
1930	2,125		10.0%
1940	2,272		6.9%
1950	2,397		5.5%
1960	2,800		16.8%
1970	2,773		−1.0%
1980	2,532		−8.7%
1990	2,444		−3.5%
2000	2,391		−2.2%
2010	2,002		−16.3%
2020	1,982		−1.0%
2021 (est.)	1,964	[5]	−0.9%
Sources:[8][9][10][3]

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 2,391 people, 1,020 households, and 609 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,930.3 people per square mile (745.3 people/km²). There were 1,086 housing units at an average density of 876.7 per square mile (338.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.45% White, 2.17% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population.

There were 1,020 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $29,795, and the median income for a family was $46,979. Males had a median income of $27,371 versus $19,576 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $22,161. About 6.0% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

The United States post office in Mercer contains a mural, Clearing the Land, painted in 1940 by Lorin Thompson. Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.^[11]

Education

Children in Mercer are served by the public Mercer Area School District. The current schools serving the borough include:

• Mercer Area Elementary School – grades K-6
• Mercer Area Middle-High School – grades 7-12

Notable people

• John Bingham, drafter of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and longest serving U.S. Ambassador to Japan
• Leech Maskrey, Major League Baseball outfielder for the Louisville Eclipse/Colonels and Cincinnati Red Stockings
• Gary Peters, Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox
• Trent Reznor, musician; lead singer for industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails
• David Vogan, mathematician
• Samuel Waugh, painter
• J. C. Williamson, actor and impresario

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
2. "Indian Run Topo Map, Mercer County PA (Mercer Area)". TopoZone. Locality, LLC. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
3. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
10. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
11. Arnesen, Eric (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working-Class History. Vol. 1. New York: Routledge. p. 1540. ISBN 9780415968263.