Census tract · Mercer County
Census Tract 23, Mercer County, West Virginia
Census Tract 23, GEOID 54055002300, in Mercer County, West Virginia, partly within Princeton and Bluefield. 4,540 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±692); the 2020 Census counted 5,146.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,540
±692 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,146
Median household income
$54,844
±$14,272 (90% margin)
Mercer County: $53,210
Median home value
$107,900
±$46,047 (90% margin)
Mercer County: $121,700
Median gross rent
$760
±$129 (90% margin)
Mercer County: $810
Where is Census Tract 23?
Census Tract 23 is one of 16 census tracts in Mercer County, West Virginia. It covers 23.62 square miles of land, 218 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 54055002300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
7 census tracts border Census Tract 23: Tract 12 ($54,207), Tract 13 ($42,833), Tract 14 ($52,931), Tract 18 ($61,786), Tract 19 ($36,875), Tract 22 ($55,788) and Tract 24 ($59,306). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 23?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 23's population at 4,540 (±692) in 1,985 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,146 residents and 2,430 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 23 | Mercer County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,540 ±692 | 58,563 |
| Households | 1,985 ±286 | 24,224 |
| Average household size | 2.21 ±0.25 | 2.36 |
| Housing units | 2,278 ±304 | 29,345 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 23?
The median resident of Census Tract 23 is 41.4 years old; 21.5% are under 18 and 22.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.0%.
| Measure | Tract 23 | Mercer County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.4 ±7.5 | 43.5 |
| Under 18 years | 21.5% ±5.5 pts | 20.8% |
| 65 years and over | 22.4% ±5.8 pts | 22.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 1.3% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.0% ±6.0 pts | 88.6% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.5 pts | 4.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 0.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.0% ±6.1 pts | 5.2% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 0.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.1% ±2.2 pts | 1.9% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.2% ±3.4 pts | 7.4% |
| With a disability | 23.1% ±7.2 pts | 23.3% |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8% ±3.2 pts | 4.9% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.9% ±8.1 pts | 88.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.4% ±7.1 pts | 22.9% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.4% ±5.8 pts | 8.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.9% ±7.0 pts | 90.2% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 23 earn?
Half of the 1,985 households in Census Tract 23 earn less than $54,844 a year (±$14,272), against $53,210 across Mercer County: 7th highest of the county's 16 tracts with a reliable estimate. 21.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 23 | Mercer County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,844 ±$14,272 | $53,210 |
| Mean household income | $72,925 ±$13,837 | $71,510 |
| Per capita income | $36,025 ±$7,213 | $30,362 |
| People below the poverty line | 21.1% ±9.8 pts | 16.5% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 36.4% ±22.8 pts | 19.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 21.0% ±8.5 pts | 21.6% |
| Households with a computer | 85.7% ±9.7 pts | 91.9% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.6% ±9.9 pts | 86.5% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 23?
Owners occupy 71.2% of Census Tract 23's occupied homes and renters 28.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $107,900 by its owner (±$46,047). The median renter pays $760 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 23 | Mercer County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $107,900 ±$46,047 | $121,700 |
| Median gross rent | $760 ±$129 | $810 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.1% ±24.0 pts | 38.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $837 ±$227 | $1,151 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.2% ±11.3 pts | 72.9% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.8% ±11.3 pts | 27.1% |
| Housing units | 2,278 ±304 | 29,345 |
| Single-family detached homes | 41.6% ±8.6 pts | 66.8% |
| Mobile homes | 45.4% ±9.7 pts | 20.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.6% ±5.1 pts | 5.1% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 16.1% |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.3% ±5.8 pts | 6.5% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 23 get to work?
87.8% of Census Tract 23's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.3 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 23 | Mercer County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.2% ±7.8 pts | 50.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% ±4.8 pts | 2.7% |
| Drove alone to work | 87.8% ±6.6 pts | 81.9% |
| Carpooled | 3.7% ±3.6 pts | 7.0% |
| Public transportation | 0.4% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% |
| Walked | 1.1% ±1.5 pts | 2.1% |
| Worked from home | 4.5% ±3.8 pts | 6.6% |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.3 min ±4.8 | 24.0 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 23 compare with the other tracts in Mercer County?
Among Mercer County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 23 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Mercer County |
|---|---|
| Population | 6th of 16 |
| Residents per square mile | 11th of 16 |
| Median household income | 7th of 16 |
| Per capita income | 4th of 16 |
| Median home value | 10th of 16 |
| Median gross rent | 8th of 13 |
| Poverty rate | 2nd of 14 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7th of 16 |
| Median age | 11th of 16 |
| Owner-occupied share | 9th of 16 |
The tracts next to it on Mercer County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 18 | 4th | $61,786±$18,721 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 24 | 5th | $59,306±$21,889 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 22 | 6th | $55,788±$11,058 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 23 | 7th | $54,844±$14,272 |
| Tract 12 | 8th | $54,207±$8,075 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 14 | 9th | $52,931±$8,416 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 21 | 10th | $52,237±$16,058 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 23?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 23 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections