Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mercer’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, above both Maine’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 1 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Mercer. Its National Register listings include Ingalls House and Henry Knox Thatcher House. Mercer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Mercer beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 562 in 1810, a low of 272 in 1960, 709 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 4 maps from 1894 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mercer, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Mercer.
Most working residents leave Mercer for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2013, Mercer has added 35 jobs, to 62 in 2023. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Mercer, above both the Maine town median (9%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
| Mercer | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Mercer has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Mercer is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Mercer. Among 144 Maine towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Mercer. 30% of adults get no exercise outside work in Mercer.
| Mercer | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Mercer | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.4% | 14.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12% | 7.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 16.9% | 10.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Maine average. 26% of Mercer residents are 65 or older. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Maine.
| Mercer | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 22% | 18% |
| Median age | 43.4 years | 44.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 32% | 29% |
58% women, 42% men
About 74 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7.1 points). Across Maine, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 45 to 54, 70% are men (ME 50%).
| Mercer | ME | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.6% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 8.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.8% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.6% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.7% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.9% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 15.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.3% | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.6% | 8.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.6% | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25% | 30.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.8% | 18.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20.6% | 10.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9% | 13.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
28 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Mercer Bog Wildlife Management Area, at 377 acres.
| Mercer | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mercer Bog Wildlife Management Area | — | 377 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mercer. Close and well known come first.
34 mi Ski areaSugarloaf137 runs · 2,769 ft vertical
37 mi Ski areaSaddleback Mountain72 runs · 1,847 ft vertical
24 mi MuseumMaine State Museum
13 mi MuseumColby College Museum of Art35 mi Ski areaBlack Mountain of Maine29 runs · 1,227 ft vertical
14 mi MuseumL. C. Bates MuseumSugarloaf: Bubblecuffer, Public domain · Saddleback Mountain: petersent, Public domain · Maine State Museum: Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Colby College Museum of Art: Colby Mariam, CC BY-SA 4.0 · L. C. Bates Museum: W.A. Judge, Public domain
4 within 15 miles of the center of Mercer
About 1 of every 100 Mercer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Where Mercer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Mercer on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Mercer.
Town in Maine, United States
Mercer is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The town was named after the Revolutionary War hero Hugh Mercer. The population was 709 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Mercer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born here, including Frank Munsey and James S. Wiley.
_from_Saddleback_Mt_Maine.jpg){kind=link}
