Jury Pool Profile
Mercer County, Illinois
- County seat
- Aledo
- Judicial district
- 14th Judicial Circuit Court
- Population (July 2025 estimate)
- 15,229
- Census PEP. The five-year ACS survey average is 15,495.
At a glance
Mercer County is a 15,229-person venue. The county population is 94% White (Census race-alone categories). Median household income is $81,428, $1,899 below the IL state median of $83,327; 20.9% of residents 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 2.8% of residents 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, most commonly Spanish. The largest published sector is Education & health services, at 18.2% of covered employment, average pay $36,619/year. Trailing-12-month unemployment is 5.03%, above the 4.85% state average. The county carried the Republican presidential candidate in 2016, 2020, and 2024, taking 57% to 62% of the vote across the three.
- Population
- 15,495
- Median household income
- $74,182
- Unemployment
- 5.0%
Who sits on a jury?
≥70% White (race-alone) and <20% Black. This county: 94% / 1%.
Mercer County has a population of 15,495, with a median age of 44.7. By Census race-alone categories, White residents make up 94.2%; Black residents 0.6%. Independently, 3.4% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The median household earns $81,428; 20.9% of residents 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher; 9.1% live below the federal poverty line.
Economic context
Largest sector in BLS QCEW, with cells BLS withholds estimated from Census County Business Patterns (private jobs) and the statewide public-sector mix: Education & health services, about 34% of covered jobs.
Education & health services is the largest published sector at 18.2% of covered employment, followed by Trade, transportation & utilities at 17.9%. Trailing-12-month unemployment is 5.03%, above the Illinois state average.
Political composition
Republican candidate carried this county in 2016, 2020, and 2024 (avg winning share: 60%). 'Strongly' threshold: ≥60% avg.
Mercer County was carried by the Republican candidate in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 cycles, with 62.5% in 2024, 60.8% in 2020, 57.0% in 2016.
Languages, households, faith & health
Family households are 69% of all households (thresholds: ≥70% = 'family-dominant'; 50–70% = 'family-majority'; <50% = 'singles/nonfamily-majority'). 2.8% of residents 5 and older speak a language other than English at home (threshold for 'linguistically diverse' is ≥10%).
2.8% of residents 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home. The most common are Spanish, Russian, Polish, or other Slavic, German or other West Germanic. Veterans account for 8.4% of the adult civilian population (1,029 individuals).