Mercer County, Pennsylvania

Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Mercer County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 110,652. Its county seat is Mercer, and its largest city is Hermitage.
Mercer County compromises the Hermitage, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Mercer County was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.5%) is water. It has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Sharon range from 27.1 °F in January to 72.2 °F in July, while in Mercer borough they range from 25.4 °F in January to 70.1 °F in July.
Adjacent counties
Crawford County (north)
Venango County (east)
Butler County (southeast)
Lawrence County (south)
Mahoning County, Ohio (southwest)
Trumbull County, Ohio (west)
Major highways
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,293 people, 46,712 households, and 32,371 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 49,859 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.13% White, 5.25% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. 0.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 37.7% were of German, 20.0% Irish, 14.9% Italian, 12.0% English, 6.4% American, 6.2% Polish, 3.7% Scotch-Irish, 3.3% Dutch ancestry.
There were 46,712 households, out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.
2020 census
Government and politics
|}
Voter Registration
As of June 12, 2023, there are 70,553 registered voters in the county. Republicans hold a plurality of voters by a margin of 10,354 voters (14.67% of the total registered). There are 35,735 registered Republicans, 25,381 registered Democrats, 7,319 registered non-affiliated voters, and 2,118 voters registered to third parties.
Political bellwether
Mercer County was previously considered a political bellwether for the state of Pennsylvania since its demographics, urban/rural ratio, and party affiliation once closely mirrored the state as a whole. In 2000, Al Gore carried it against George W. Bush. This trend failed to hold true during 2004 Presidential election and 2008 Presidential election, in which Mercer County voted more conservatively than the rest of the state. In 2004, George W. Bush won Mercer County with 51% of the vote. That year John Kerry won the state as a whole with 51% of the popular vote. In 2008, John McCain won Mercer County by fewer than 200 votes, as he and Barack Obama each received roughly 49% of the popular vote. Barack Obama won the state of Pennsylvania as a whole with 55% of the popular vote. Each of the three statewide office winners also carried Mercer in 2008. In 2016, Donald Trump won Mercer County by 12,403 votes. Trump also won the state of Pennsylvania. Each of the three Republican candidates for statewide office carried Mercer County in 2016. In 2020, Trump again carried the county, despite Pennsylvania narrowly voting for Joe Biden. Trump carried 62% of the vote, the largest majority for any major party candidate since 1964, and the largest majority for a Republican since 1928.
County Officials
State House of Representatives
State Senate
United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
Education
Higher education
Grove City College (Grove City)
Thiel College (Greenville)
Pennsylvania State University, Shenango Campus (Sharon)
Butler County Community College, BC3 @ Linden Pointe (Hermitage)
Career-based education
Laurel Technical Institute, Sharon
Mercer County Career and Technical Center, Mercer
Penn State Cosmetology Academy, Hermitage
Sharon Regional Health System Schools of Nursing and Radiology, Sharon
Public school districts
Crawford Central School District
Commodore Perry School District
Farrell Area School District
Greenville Area School District
Grove City Area School District
Hermitage School District
Jamestown Area School District
Lakeview School District
Mercer Area School District
Reynolds School District
Sharon City School District
Sharpsville Area School District
West Middlesex Area School District
Wilmington Area School District
Charter schools
Keystone Education Center Charter School, Greenville, PA. 256 pupils grades 7-12 Report Card 2010.
Private schools
Kennedy Catholic High School, Hermitage, PA.
St Michael's Elementary School, Greenville, PA.
Recreation
There is one Pennsylvania state park in Mercer County. Maurice K. Goddard State Park, named for Maurice K. Goddard, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, is just off exit 130 of Interstate 79 on Pennsylvania Route 358 near Stoneboro.
The Wendell August Forge, the last remaining working forge in the state, was open to the public for tours, but it burned down on March 6, 2010. It has since reopened in new facilities.
Mercer County Court House built in 1909.
Communities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in one case, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Mercer County:
Cities
Farrell
Hermitage (largest city in Mercer County)
Sharon
Boroughs
Clark
Fredonia
Greenville
Grove City
Jackson Center
Jamestown
Mercer (county seat)
New Lebanon
Sandy Lake
Sharpsville
Sheakleyville
Stoneboro
West Middlesex
Wheatland
Townships
Coolspring
Deer Creek
Delaware
East Lackawannock
Fairview
Findley
French Creek
Greene
Hempfield
Jackson
Jefferson
Lackawannock
Lake
Liberty
Mill Creek
New Vernon
Otter Creek
Perry
Pine
Pymatuning
Salem
Sandy Creek
Sandy Lake
Shenango
South Pymatuning
Springfield
Sugar Grove
West Salem
Wilmington
Wolf Creek
Worth
Census-designated places
Lake Latonka
Reynolds Heights
Unincorporated communities
Blacktown
Briscoe Springs
Carlton
Charleston
Clarks Mills
Delaware Grove
Fairview (village)
Hadley
Kennard
Kremis
London
Maysville
Milledgeville
New Vernon (village)
Oniontown
Osgood
Petersburg
Shenango (village)
Transfer
Williams Corners
Former community
Hickory Township-became the Municipality of Hermitage in 1976, and then the City of Hermitage in 1984.
Mixed Nomenclature
Borough of Greenville is also interchangeably designated as Town of Greenville with exact municipal designation currently unclear.
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census and 2020 census of Mercer County.
† county seat
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Mercer County, Pennsylvania
References
External links
Government - https://web.archive.org/web/20071006122227/http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/
https://web.archive.org/web/20071007130714/http://www.mercercountypa.org/