Mercer County, NJ

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Population

369,811

1.31% decline

Median Age

38.9


Median Household Income

$80,632

1.84% growth

Poverty Rate

11.3%


Number of Employees

186,168

1.16% growth

Median Property Value

$289,700

1.4% decline

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Mercer County, NJ had a population of 370k people with a median age of 38.9 and a median household income of $80,632. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Mercer County, NJ declined from 374,733 to 369,811, a -1.31% decrease and its median household income grew from $79,173 to $80,632, a 1.84% increase.

The population of Mercer County, NJ is 48.8% White Alone, 20% Black or African American Alone, and 18.1% Hispanic or Latino. N/A% of the people in Mercer County, NJ speak a non-English language, and 88.1% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Mercer County, NJ are Thomas Edison State University (2,824 degrees awarded in 2017), Princeton University (2,268 degrees), and The College of New Jersey (2,097 degrees).

The median property value in Mercer County, NJ is $289,700, and the homeownership rate is 62.6%. Most people in Mercer County, NJ commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 25.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Mercer County, NJ is 2 cars per household.

About the photo: State Capitol Rotunda, Trenton, NJ

Photo by Peter Miller

United StatesNew JerseyTrenton, NJ

Economy

The economy of Mercer County, NJ employs 186k people. The largest industries in Mercer County, NJ are Educational Services (25,196 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (22,397 people), and Retail Trade (20,614 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($105,749), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,646), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,293).

Median household income in Mercer County, NJ is $80,632. Males in Mercer County, NJ have an average income that is 1.36 times higher than the average income of females, which is $65,578. The income inequality in Mercer County, NJ (measured using the Gini index) is 0.493, which is higher than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$80,632

2018 value

± $3,738

1.84%

1 Year Growth

± 7.78%

Households in Mercer County, NJ have a median annual income of $80,632, which is more than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $79,173 in 2017, which represents a 1.84% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Mercer County, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.

$89,489

Average Male Salary

± $1,731

$65,578

Average Female Salary

± $1,240

In 2018, full-time male employees in New Jersey made 1.36 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in New Jersey by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $86,392 ± $3,381

  2. White

    $72,755 ± $1,266

  3. Two or More Races

    $54,823 ± $4,874

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of New Jersey workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.19 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in New Jersey by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Mercer County, NJ is from New Jersey.

0.493

2018 Wage GINI

0.493

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in New Jersey was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0656% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 the GINI for New Jersey was higher than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New Jersey in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New Jersey across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 43.04

  2. Census Tract 43.06

  3. Census Tract 43.07

In 2017, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Mercer County, NJ was Census Tract 43.04 with a value of $205,458, followed by Census Tract 43.06 and Census Tract 43.07, with respective values of $200,000 and $192,356.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Mercer County, NJ colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

11.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Mercer County, NJ (40.5k out of 357k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 18 - 24.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    19,922 ± 1,105

  2. Black

    14,513 ± 866

  3. Hispanic

    12,868 ± 845

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Mercer County, NJ is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

186k

2018 Value

± 8,226

1.16%

1 Year growth

± 5.98%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Mercer County, NJ grew at a rate of 1.16%, from 184k employees to 186k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Mercer County, NJ, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (21,582 people), Management Occupations (19,576 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (18,048 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Mercer County, NJ.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Mercer County, NJ, by number of employees, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (21,582 people), Management Occupations (19,576 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (18,048 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Mercer County, NJ has an unusually high number of residents working as Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1.53 times higher than expected), Computer & Mathematical Occupations (1.53 times), and Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations (1.39 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Mercer County, NJ, by median earnings, are Computer & Mathematical Occupations ($110,621), Computer, Engineering, & Science Occupations ($101,454), and Legal Occupations ($101,009).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

186k

2018 Value

± 8,226

1.16%

1 Year growth

± 5.98%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Mercer County, NJ grew at a rate of 1.16%, from 184k employees to 186k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Mercer County, NJ, are Educational Services (25,196 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (22,397 people), and Retail Trade (20,614 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Mercer County, NJ, though some of these residents may live in Mercer County, NJ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Mercer County, NJ, by number of employees, are Educational Services (25,196 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (22,397 people), and Retail Trade (20,614 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Mercer County, NJ has an unusually high number of Educational Services (1.47 times higher than expected), Public Administration (1.38 times), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1.24 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Mercer County, NJ, by median earnings, are Finance & Insurance ($105,749), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,646), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,293).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from New Jersey to other states, or from other states to New Jersey.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Pharmaceuticals

    $55.9B

  2. Electronics

    $42.1B

  3. Mixed freight

    $38.2B

In 2015, the top outbound New Jersey product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $55.9B, followed by Electronics ($42.1B) and Mixed freight ($38.2B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound New Jersey products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for New Jersey state.

$517B

2020 Value

$734B

Projected 2045 Value

42% growth

In 2020, total outbound New Jersey trade was $517B. This is expected to increase 42% to $734B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound New Jersey trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from New Jersey to other states, or from other states to New Jersey.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. New York

    $79.3B

  2. Pennsylvania

    $54.2B

  3. California

    $17.9B

In 2015, the top outbound New Jersey domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was New York with $79.3B, followed by Pennsylvania with $54.2B and California and $17.9B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that New Jersey shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

91.7% of the population of Mercer County, NJ has health coverage, with 53.2% on employee plans, 15.8% on Medicaid, 10.8% on Medicare, 11% on non-group plans, and 0.804% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the county of Mercer County, NJ was $8,859 in 2014. This is a 4.91% increase from the previous year ($8,444).

Primary care physicians in Mercer County, NJ see 938 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.6% decrease from the previous year (963 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1271 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 343 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Salem County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (12.1%). Additionally, Cumberland County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (34.7%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

938 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Mercer County, NJ see an average of 938 patients per year. This represents a 2.6% decrease from the previous year (963 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Mercer County, NJ in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

$8,859

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$5,081

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$8,049

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$12,614

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in New Jersey (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.91%, from $8,444 to $8,859.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

8.28%

Uninsured

53.2%

Employer Coverage

15.8%

Medicaid

10.8%

Medicare

11%

Non-Group

0.804%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Mercer County, NJ grew by 17.9% from 7.02% to 8.28%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Mercer County, NJ changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Salem County

    12.1% prevalence

  2. Cumberland County

    11.7% prevalence

  3. Atlantic County

    11.7% prevalence

Salem County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in New Jersey, at 12.1%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in New Jersey by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Mercer County, NJ is home to a population of 370k people, from which 88.1% are citizens. As of 2017, 22.1% of Mercer County, NJ residents were born outside of the country (82.9k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Mercer County, NJ is composed of 180k White Alone residents (48.8%), 74.1k Black or African American Alone residents (20%), 67.1k Hispanic or Latino residents (18.1%), 41.9k Asian Alone residents (11.3%), 6.02k Two or More Races residents (1.63%), 131 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.0354%), 111 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.03%), and 34 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.00919%).

Age

Age by Nativity

36

Median Native-Born Age

± 1.1

42

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.2

In 2018, the median age of all people in Mercer County, NJ was 38.9. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 36, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 42. But people in Mercer County, NJ are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Mercer County, NJ residents was 38.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

22.1%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

82.9k people

21.8%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

81k people

As of 2017, 22.1% of Mercer County, NJ residents (82.9k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Mercer County, NJ was 21.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Mercer County, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.

Most Common Origin

  1. India

    260,034 ± 12,336 people

  2. Dominican Republic

    194,328 ± 10,704 people

  3. Mexico

    107,599 ± 8,005 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Jersey was India, the natal country of 260,034 New Jersey residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 194,328 and Mexico with 107,599.

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Citizenship

88.1%

2018 Citizenship

87%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 88.1% of Mercer County, NJ residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Mercer County, NJ was 87%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Mercer County, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    180k ± 210

  2. Black or African American Alone

    74.1k ± 1.52k

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    67.1k ± 7.48k

In 2018, there were 2.44 times more White Alone residents (180k people) in Mercer County, NJ than any other race or ethnicity. There were 74.1k Black or African American Alone and 67.1k Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Mercer County, NJ as a share of the total population.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    2,934 ± 823

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    1,452 ± 776

  3. Korea

    1,078 ± 526

Mercer County, NJ has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.02 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Mercer County, NJ awarded 10,178 degrees. The student population of Mercer County, NJ is skewed towards women, with 20,074 male students and 21,260 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Mercer County, NJ are White (5,631 and 59.7%), followed by Black or African American (962 and 10.2%), Hispanic or Latino (927 and 9.83%), and Unknown (898 and 9.52%).

The largest universities in Mercer County, NJ by number of degrees awarded are Thomas Edison State University (2,824 and 27.7%), Princeton University (2,268 and 22.3%), and The College of New Jersey (2,097 and 20.6%).

The most popular majors in Mercer County, NJ are General Business Administration & Management (797 and 7.83%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (723 and 7.1%), and Registered Nursing (569 and 5.59%).

The median tuition costs in Mercer County, NJ are $43,855 for private four year colleges, and $9,966 and $16,941 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Other Multidisciplinary Studies

    396 degrees awarded

  2. General Business Administration & Management

    487 degrees awarded

  3. Registered Nursing

    422 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Mercer County, NJ was Other Multidisciplinary Studies with 396 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Mercer County, NJ according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. Thomas Edison State University

    2,824 degrees awarded

  2. Princeton University

    2,268 degrees awarded

  3. The College of New Jersey

    2,097 degrees awarded

$9,966

Median In-State Public

$43,855

Median Private

In 2017, the Mercer County, NJ institution with the largest number of graduating students was Thomas Edison State University with 2,824 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

4,711

Degrees Awarded to Men

5,467

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 4,711 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Mercer County, NJ, which is 0.862 times less than the 5,467 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Mercer County, NJ by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    5,631 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    962 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    927 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Mercer County, NJ were to White students. These 5,631 degrees mean that there were 5.85 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 962 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Mercer County, NJ was $289,700 in 2018, which is 1.26 times larger than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $293,800 to $289,700, a 1.4% decrease. The homeownership rate in Mercer County, NJ is 62.6%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Mercer County, NJ have an average commute time of 25.3 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Mercer County, NJ is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$289,700

2018 Median

± $12,538

$293,800

2017 Median

± $10,580

In 2018, the median property value in Mercer County, NJ declined from to $289,700 from the previous year's value of $293,800.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Mercer County, NJ compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Mercer County, NJ the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$80,632

Median Household Income

± $3,738

133k

Number of Households

± 6,253

In 2018, the median household income of the 133k households in Mercer County, NJ grew to $80,632 from the previous year's value of $79,173.

The following chart displays the households in Mercer County, NJ distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Mercer County, NJ distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Mercer County, NJ the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

62.6%

2018 Homeownership

63.5%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 62.6% of the housing units in Mercer County, NJ were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 63.5%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Mercer County, NJ compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

25.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Mercer County, NJ have a shorter commute time (25.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 5.18% of the workforce in Mercer County, NJ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Mercer County, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    68.2%

  2. Carpooled

    13.7%

  3. Public Transit

    6.68%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Mercer County, NJ was Drove Alone (68.2%), followed by those who Carpooled (13.7%) and those who Public Transit (6.68%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Mercer County, NJ distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Mercer County, NJ have 2 cars, followed by 1 car.

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