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Moving to Mercer County, Missouri

Mercer County pays new residents up to $5,000 through Relocate and Work Remotely in Mercer County. Here is what life costs in Mercer County, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $5,000Paid to move hereRelocate and Work Remotely in Mercer County
  • $104,900Typical home value1Mercer County
  • $590Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 3,404Population-3.8% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Mercer County

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Missouri

Something to know about Mercer County

Did you know?

A historical marker on Princeton's bandstand park notes that frontier figure Calamity Jane was born Martha Jane Canary on a farm east of town.

Source: Historical Marker Database (transcription of the Princeton marker), December 2021

A fact about Mercer County

What it costs to live in Mercer County

Mercer County next to Missouri and the US.1
MeasureMercer CountyMissouriUnited States
Typical home value$104,900$230,300$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,069$1,524$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$590$1,033$1,413
Typical household income$62,679$70,702$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners81.0%68.1%65.2%
Households with broadband81.0%89.3%91.0%
Average commute, one way23 min24 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $576 a month2.

Jobs and work in Mercer County

  • 384Jobs at local employers2023, +6.7% vs 2022
  • 79Employer businesses2023
  • 291Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 81.0%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

57.1% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 22.6 minutes, and 18.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 1 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Mercer County

1 of Mercer County's 2 programs requires a full-time remote job. These are current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Mercer County

Notable places in Mercer County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Hidden Valley Lake
  • Ballast Pit Lake
  • Lake Paho State Wildlife Area
  • Lions Community Park
  • Lake Paho

Thinking about Mercer County? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

Get the guide

Moving to Mercer County: questions people ask

Does Mercer County pay you to move there?

Yes. Relocate and Work Remotely in Mercer County: $5,000 cash; Live and Work Local in Mercer County, MO: $5,000 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Mercer County?

In Mercer County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $104,900 and median gross rent is $590 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Missouri: $230,300 and $1,033. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $576 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Mercer County a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Mercer County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population fell 3.8% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide; Relocate and Work Remotely in Mercer County helps with that: Two free nights in Mercer County to house hunt before you move, with meetings with school and community leaders..

Can I work remotely from Mercer County?

81.0% of households in Mercer County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 2 local programs requires a full-time remote job, and 1 has a track for local jobs.

What is there to do in Mercer County?

Notable places in Mercer County include Hidden Valley Lake, Ballast Pit Lake. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page