Mercer is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,391 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mercer County[1]. Mercer is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The community was named after physician Brigadier General Hugh Mercer. Brigadier General Mercer was a close friend to General Washington and became a rallying point for the Battle of Princeton.
Mercer is the birthplace of the 19th century painter Samuel Waugh, as well as musician Trent Reznor, creator of the band Nine Inch Nails. Mercer is also known for its Memorial Day Parade with the main street lined with 500 flags. Each February it holds Penn's Woods West Arts & Crafts Festival at the Mercer Area High School as well Victorian Days in the summer. Many attend the outdoor concerts by the Mercer Community Band on Friday evenings each summer.[citation needed]
Geography
Mercer is located at 41°13′35″N 80°14′15″W / 41.22639°N 80.2375°W / 41.22639; -80.2375 (41.226347, -80.237436)[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census[3] 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 (744.5/km²). There were 1,086 housing units at an average density of 876.7/sq mi (338.2/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.
References
