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Mercer County, New Jersey: crime rate, income and local data
Mercer County averaged 3.2 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 56% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.1). Households here have a median income of $100,645 and the unemployment rate was 4.9% in August 2026. Population: about 385,864 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Mercer County?
Police agencies in Mercer County reported an average of 1,247 violent crimes and 6,273 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 3.2: 56% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.1), and 12% lower than the national rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 16.3 per 1,000 residents, compared with 13.5 across New Jersey. Aggravated assaults make up 62% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 31 homicide deaths a year in the county (8.3 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Mercer County | Per 1,000 | New Jersey per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,247 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 30 | 0.08 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 104 | 0.27 | 0.17 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 337 | 0.88 | 0.47 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 777 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 6,273 | 16.3 | 13.5 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 708 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 4,894 | 12.7 | 10.5 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 672 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (12 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Mercer County?
Half of households in Mercer County make more than $100,645 and half make less; across New Jersey the midpoint is $103,556. The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $377,700 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,623. 9.3% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 9.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 9,813 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Mercer County | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 385,864 | 9,343,809 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $100,645 | $103,556 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $377,700 | $454,400 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,623 | $1,720 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 6.3% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 10.3% | 9.7% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 9.3% | 9.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 45.4% | 43.6% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 62.2% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 39.5 | 40.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 91.4% | 92.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 7.9% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Mercer County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Mercer County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. The hazards rated highest here are river flooding (Relatively High) and hurricanes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Mercer County: Historic Potteries. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 7 high-hazard dams in Mercer County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 6 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Trenton Reservoir Dam (52 ft) and Assunpink # 6 Dam (31 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
8 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 43,173 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Mercer County was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 1, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 5 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 11 community water systems, 1 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 36 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 12 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Mercer County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 24 highway work zones in Mercer County (all active that day). Roads listed: NJ 27 (North of Harrison St, North of NJ 33 and NJ 29 (South of Lalor St). The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Mercer County?
Mercer County has 110 public schools (2024-25) and 33 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 15 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 34 fire or EMS stations and 16 police or sheriff stations. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Princeton Battlefield State Park and Washington Crossing State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Mercer County
Gun shops
4 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Mercer County, plus 1 more licensed dealer without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Clay Target Sports INC (Princeton), Defensive Security LLC (E Windsor), Kulak Arms & Outfitters LLC (Lawrenceville) and Straight Shooter Armory LLC (Pennington).
Liquor stores
80 liquor stores are on the map in Mercer County: Adriano's Liquors (Trenton), Big E Liquor Store (Trenton), Bilancio Liquors (Trenton), Bottle King, Buy Best Wine & Liquors, Buy Rite, Canal's Discount Liquor Mart, Carter Liquor Store (Trenton) and 72 more. New Jersey has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
2 Planned Parenthood health centers are on the map in Mercer County: Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern NJ-Hamilton (Hamilton) and Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern NJ-Trenton (Trenton).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Mercer County?
Mercer County averaged 1,247 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 3.2 per 1,000 residents, 56% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.1). The property-crime rate was 16.3 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Mercer County?
$100,645 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $103,556 for New Jersey and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Mercer County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 9,813 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Mercer County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Mercer County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. The hazards rated highest here are river flooding (Relatively High) and hurricanes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Mercer County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Mercer County: Historic Potteries.
Is there road construction in Mercer County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 24 highway work zones in Mercer County (all active that day). Roads listed: NJ 27 (North of Harrison St, North of NJ 33 and NJ 29 (South of Lalor St).
How many nursing homes are in Mercer County?
15 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Mercer County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucks County, PA | 647,461 | 0.66 | $114,764 |
| Burlington County | 467,805 | 1.7 | $108,111 |
| Hunterdon County | 130,160 | 0.39 | $141,715 |
| Middlesex County | 871,290 | 1.8 | $111,549 |
| Monmouth County | 645,353 | 1.2 | $124,845 |
| Somerset County | 349,846 | 0.59 | $140,374 |
Cities in Mercer County with their own page: Trenton.
More: New Jersey statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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