Mercer County vs Richland County
A side-by-side comparison of Mercer County and Richland County: population, income, housing, and more.
Mercer County and Richland County are counties in Illinois. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Richland County has the higher population (15,675 vs 15,619 in Mercer County). Mercer County has the higher median household income ($71,710 vs $60,404 in Richland County). Mercer County has the higher median home value ($139,300 vs $106,600 in Richland County).
Population, income & housing
| Mercer County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,619 | 15,675 |
| Median age | 44.5 yrs | 42.5 yrs |
| Median household income | $71,710 | $60,404 |
| Median home value | $139,300 | $106,600 |
| Median gross rent | $757 | $754 |
| Housing units | 7,279 | 7,366 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.7% | 73.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.9% | 18.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Mercer County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,589 → 15,619 (+0.2%) | 15,766 → 15,675 (-0.6%) |
| Median household income | $59,787 → $71,710 (+19.9%) | $48,894 → $60,404 (+23.5%) |
| Median home value | $107,600 → $139,300 (+29.5%) | $89,600 → $106,600 (+19.0%) |
| Median gross rent | $655 → $757 (+15.6%) | $566 → $754 (+33.2%) |
Mercer County
15,58915,619
$59,787$71,710
$107,600$139,300
$655$757
Richland County
15,76615,675
$48,894$60,404
$89,600$106,600
$566$754
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Mercer County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.8% | 5.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.2% | 17.2% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 7.3% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 11.2% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.0% | 12.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 11.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.0% | 14.3% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 11.2% |
| 75 and over | 9.1% | 9.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Mercer County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.5% | 93.7% |
| Black or African American | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.3% | 1.9% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Mercer County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| High school graduate | 40.2% | 33.1% |
| Some college or associate's | 34.2% | 40.0% |
| Bachelor's degree | 12.6% | 12.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.3% | 6.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Mercer County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 81.4% | 81.4% |
| Carpooled | 8.0% | 8.6% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Walked | 2.2% | 2.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 1.1% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Mercer County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 87.6% | 78.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| 20 or more units | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 3.3% | 13.3% |
Poverty & households
| Mercer County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 11.9% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 2.40 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 28 | 20 |
| Median year structure built | 1960 | 1973 |
Full profiles
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