Mercer County Fairgrounds · National Register of Historic Places
Mercer Township’s story
148 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 maps from 1923 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1878Mercer Township is settled
Mercer TownshipIL
5 bordering townsMap →
Mercer County Fairgrounds · Photo: Boscophotos · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,841
2025 Census estimate · −3.5% since 2020
Median home value
$147K
Census ACS
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
38.6
years
Jobs based here
1,932
Balanced
TownGrade
B−
#496 of 767 in IL
Is Mercer Township a good place to live?
With a B− overall, Mercer Township is better than 47% of U.S. towns and ranks 496th of 767 in Illinois. Its weakest is schools: its public schools trail 66% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. Cost of living is its strong suit: a typical home costs about $147K, 2 years of the Davenport metro’s $73K median household income. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: C+ for incomes, B for walkability and B− for hazard risk. Mercer County Fairgrounds is on the National Register of Historic Places. Nearly two fifths of working residents work locally in the town, against 8.3% in Illinois’ towns and 8% across U.S. towns. The town has 1 place on the National Register.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places · Census LEHD, 2023.
What makes Mercer Township stand out
Where Mercer Township beats most towns.
Mercer County FairgroundsHistoryA
Settled in 1878
1 place on the National Register
A history going back 148 years.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Mercer Township8.2
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeB+
2.4 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
How Mercer Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Mercer Township is from typical.
Cost of livingBetter than most of the towns comparedA−Open →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsCOpen →HealthGenesis Medical Center, Aledo 1.9 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 2.5% of households have no car; 3.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & income$71K median household income; 1,932 jobs based hereC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 48% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 0% conserved landCOpen →History1 place on the National RegisterAOpen →Civic life2.4 library visits per resident; 8.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Mercer Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mercer Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAledo water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Mercer Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMercer County ClerkMercer County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6123161231 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Mercer Township.
SchoolsC
Mercer Township’s grade for schools is a C
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. Its public schools are run by the Mercer County School District 404. The largest public high school is Mercer County High School, with 411 students.
34%of IL districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo Elem SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 362 | C+ |
| Mercer County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 411 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Climate
In Mercer Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 22 inches of snow, with January nights at 14° and July afternoons at 85°.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring40–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Mercer Township are less healthy than 63% of U.S. towns
Of 32 CDC measures, Mercer Township beats the Illinois average on 4 and trails it on 9. Among adults in the town, 40% have high blood pressure. 15% of adults in Mercer Township report frequent physical distress; 14% have diabetes.
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Mercer Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
4 better19 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Mercer Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.6% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.2% | 13.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.8% | 10.3% |
Genesis Medical Center, Aledo
1.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
23rd
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Mercer Township’s grade for incomes is a C+
The average commute for its 1,753 working residents takes 18.8 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
Half the trips to work are shorter than 20 miles. For working residents in Mercer Township, the share who work locally is 39%. The top destinations are Aledo (38%), Rock Island (7%) and Davenport (6%). The town’s average commute stands at 19 minutes.
39%work in town
| Mercer Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 39% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Mercer Township39%
Aledo38%
Rock Island7%
Davenport6%
Moline4%
20 mi
median commute distance
1,932
jobs based in Mercer Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 61% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC
Conservation land takes up 0.1% of Mercer Township
Trails total 3.2 miles in 7 parks and preserves.
#521for trails in IL
| Mercer Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.1%
conserved · 20 of 22,567 acres
3.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fenton Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Northside Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Monument Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Mercer Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
The national flood insurance program has paid one claim in Mercer Township since 2008. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 27% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 19% to strong winds.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windHeat waves
1
paid flood claims since 2008
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mercer Township
18pages on Mercer Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mercer Township; the nearest are
Monmouth CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Monmouth20 mi$44,922 tuitionCarl Sandburg CollegeCommunity college · Public · Galesburg22.2 mi$5,390 in-state tuitionWestern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Macomb50.4 mi$15,264 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Mercer Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
About Mercer Township
Township in Illinois, United States
Mercer Township is located in Mercer County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 4,071 and it contained 1,873 housing units. Mercer Township changed its name from Centre Township on an unknown date sometime before 1921. Mercer Township contains Aledo, the county seat of Mercer County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
Mercer Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Mercer Township.
Greene TownshipOhio Grove TownshipMillersburg TownshipPerryton TownshipAbington TownshipMercer Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer Township | #496 | B− | A− | — | C | C+ |
| Greene Township | — | — | B | — | B+ | B− |
| Ohio Grove Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Millersburg Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Perryton Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Abington Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Greene Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Mercer Township and Greene Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Ohio Grove Township, Millersburg Township, Perryton Township and Abington Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Mercer Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Mercer Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mercer Township, IL a good place to live?
Mercer Township grades B− overall, better than 47% of U.S. towns and #496 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C+ for health and C for schools.
Is Mercer Township, IL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.