Mercer County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.3 | 381,671 people · 10th most distressed in New Jersey
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Mercer County, NJ falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.3 — 1642nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within New Jersey, it ranks 10th of 21 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Mercer County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 88.2 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 88.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 88
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 97
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Debt & Delinquency 50.1
Debt in Collections 41
Medical Debt 57
Student Loan Delinquency 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 65
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49
Employment & Wages 48.1
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 15
Income & Poverty 34.9
Poverty Rate 25
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 25
Community Vulnerability 25.4
Uninsured Rate 45
Disability Rate 5

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Mercer County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mercer County
Mercer County, NJ 49.3 Normal —
Middlesex County, NJ 43.5 Normal -5.9
Burlington County, NJ 38.9 Normal -10.4
Monmouth County, NJ 35.9 Normal -13.4
Somerset County, NJ 31.4 Healthy -17.9
Bucks County, PA 29.8 Healthy -19.6
Hunterdon County, NJ 26.6 Healthy -22.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mercer County
Dauphin County, PA 49.3 Normal -0.1
New Castle County, DE 49.5 Normal +0.1
San Luis Obispo County, CA 49.2 Normal -0.1
Sarasota County, FL 49.5 Normal +0.2
Suffolk County, MA 49.0 Normal -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Mercer County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Mercer County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Mercer County.

ISLES, INCORPORATED
Trenton
609-341-4783 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

See all counselors in New Jersey →

Find an Attorney

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-792-8315

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Mercer County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of New Jersey 1-888-576-5529
Community Health Law Project
New Jersey State Bar Foundation — Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-792-8315
Central Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (732) 249-7600
Essex-Newark Legal Services Project, Inc. (973) 624-4500
Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, Inc. (908) 231-0840
Northeast New Jersey Legal Services Corporation (201) 792-6363
South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (800) 496-4570

Self-Help Resources

NJ Courts Foreclosure Self-Help Center Official NJ Courts self-help guidance on foreclosure proceedings

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in New Jersey →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Mercer County, New Jersey?

    Mercer County has a County Distress Index score of 49.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,642nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mercer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mercer County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 88.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Mercer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mercer County (49.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Middlesex County, NJ (43.5); Burlington County, NJ (38.9); Monmouth County, NJ (35.9).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Mercer County?

    Mercer County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 381,671 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.