Mercer County vs Wayne County
A side-by-side comparison of Mercer County and Wayne County: population, income, housing, and more.
Mercer County and Wayne County are counties in Illinois. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Wayne County has the higher population (15,994 vs 15,619 in Mercer County). Mercer County has the higher median household income ($71,710 vs $53,107 in Wayne County). Mercer County has the higher median home value ($139,300 vs $109,400 in Wayne County).
Population, income & housing
| Mercer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,619 | 15,994 |
| Median age | 44.5 yrs | 43.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $71,710 | $53,107 |
| Median home value | $139,300 | $109,400 |
| Median gross rent | $757 | $632 |
| Housing units | 7,279 | 7,699 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.7% | 78.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.9% | 16.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Mercer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,589 → 15,619 (+0.2%) | 16,402 → 15,994 (-2.5%) |
| Median household income | $59,787 → $71,710 (+19.9%) | $50,251 → $53,107 (+5.7%) |
| Median home value | $107,600 → $139,300 (+29.5%) | $86,400 → $109,400 (+26.6%) |
| Median gross rent | $655 → $757 (+15.6%) | $626 → $632 (+1.0%) |
Mercer County
15,58915,619
$59,787$71,710
$107,600$139,300
$655$757
Wayne County
16,40215,994
$50,251$53,107
$86,400$109,400
$626$632
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Mercer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.8% | 5.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.2% | 16.8% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 6.9% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 11.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 11.5% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.0% | 14.3% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 12.0% |
| 75 and over | 9.1% | 10.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Mercer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.5% | 95.7% |
| Black or African American | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.3% | 1.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Mercer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.7% | 9.8% |
| High school graduate | 40.2% | 33.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 34.2% | 40.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 12.6% | 11.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.3% | 5.2% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Mercer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 81.4% | 81.6% |
| Carpooled | 8.0% | 9.2% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Walked | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 7.8% | 7.0% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 0.5% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Mercer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 87.6% | 72.5% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.9% | 0.1% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.2% | 2.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.4% | 0.3% |
| 20 or more units | 1.5% | 3.4% |
| Mobile home & other | 3.3% | 21.4% |
Poverty & households
| Mercer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 13.8% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 2.32 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 28 | 24 |
| Median year structure built | 1960 | 1973 |
Full profiles
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