Mercer County's Comprehensive Plan
Trends & Data

Click here to view the County Comprehensive Plan Update Draft NEW
November 2005

This section contains information, graphs and tables depicting the major trends affecting Mercer County in terms of population, economy, housing and land use.

Population

Mercer County’s population is changing, reflecting local, regional and national trends. The most notable trends are shown below.

• Between 1980 and 1990, Mercer County had its first significant population loss ever, dropping from 128,299 to 121,003, a loss of 7,296 or 5.7%.

• The loss is attributable to people leaving the county due to a poor economy. While there were 2,500 more births than deaths, an estimated 9,800 more persons moved out of the county than moved in. An estimated 7,000 net outmigration occurred in the post high school and post college ages.

• The most recent county population estimate is 121,938 (1998), indicating that population has stabilized and likely on the rebound. Population projections for the next ten years range from a conservative 123,000-125,000 to a not-so-unrealistic 130,000-140,000.

 

Population Trends by Region
		POPULATION TRENDS						PROJECTION
MUNICIPALITY	GOV'T	1970	1980	1990		1996 est.		2000	2,010
Grove City	Borough	8,312	8,162	8,240		8,195		8,400	8,480
Liberty	Township	916	1,199	1,223		1,285		1,330	1,500
Pine	Township	3,514	3,762	4,193		4,566		4,580	4,900
Springfield	Township	1,878	1,904	1,892		2,020		1,950	2,250
Wolf Creek	Township	610	711	653		691		700	720
Worth	Township	767	893	906		918		990	1,060
Southeast		15,997	16,631	17,107		17,675		17,950	18,910
Clark	Borough	467	667	610		631		610	610
Farrell	City	11,000	8,645	6,841		6,585		6,240	5,900
Hermitage	City	15,421	16,365	15,300		16,119		16,800	17,500
Lackawannock	Township	1,974	2,814	2,677		2,727		2,620	2,620
Sharon	City	22,653	19,057	17,493		16,766		17,040	16,640
Sharpsville	Borough	6,126	5,375	4,729		4,549		4,540	4,290
Shenango	Township	3,141	4,399	4,339		4,395		4,340	4,340
South Pymatuning	Township	2,973	3,016	2,775		2,807		2,800	2,800
West Middlesex	Borough	1,293	1,064	982		962		960	910
Wheatland	Borough	1,421	1,132	760		737		700	650
Wilmington	Township	812	1,073	1,177		1,277		1,280	1,350
Southwest		67,281	63,607	57,683		57,555		57,930	57,610
Greene	Township	1,099	1,292	1,247		1,261		1,250	1,250
Greenville	Borough	8,704	7,730	6,734		6,395		6,400	6,200
Hempfield	Township	3,628	4,078	3,826		3,977		3,900	4,000
Jamestown	Borough	937	854	761		740		700	700
Otter Creek	Township	565	605	583		594		600	600
Pymatuning	Township	3,073	3,880	3,736		3,790		3,800	3,800
Salem	Township	679	695	678		709		700	700
Sugar Grove	Township	1,029	1,153	987		975		1,050	1,100
West Salem	Township	3,551	3,862	3,547		3,623		3,550	3,650
Northwest		23,265	24,149	22,099		22,064		21,950	22,000
Deer Creek	Township	398	496	513		507		580	580
French Creek	Township	601	765	789		807		800	800
Lake	Township	544	598	651		682		700	720
Mill Creek	Township	466	587	604		597		630	640
New Lebanon	Borough	211	197	209		216		210	210
New Vernon	Township	402	476	493		507		510	520
Perry	Township	1,368	1,597	1,468		1,492		1,520	1,550
Sandy Creek	Township	753	847	806		819		840	850
Sandy Lake	Borough	772	779	722		718		720	720
Sandy Lake	Township	884	1,163	1,161		1,229		1,250	1,300
Sheakleyville	Borough	141	155	145		143		150	150
Stoneboro	Borough	1,129	1,177	1,091		1,084		1,100	1,100
Northeast		7,669	8,837	8,652		8,801		9,010	9,140
Coolspring	Township	1,518	1,984	2,140		2,328		2,260	2,330
Delaware	Township	1,863	2,205	2,064		2,230		2,190	2,250
East Lackawannock	Township	1,314	1,709	1,606		1,683		1,650	1,700
Fairview	Township	889	965	910		964		960	990
Findley	Township	1,337	1,651	2,284		2,312		2,400	2,480
Fredonia	Borough	731	712	683		659		700	700
Jackson	Township	691	1,045	1,089		1,156		1,200	1,250
Jackson Center	Borough	274	265	244		246		260	270
Jefferson	Township	1,623	2,007	1,998		2,075		2,100	2,170
Mercer	Borough	2,773	2,532	2,444		2,407		2,550	2,650
Central		13,013	15,075	15,462		16,060		16,270	16,790
Mercer County		127,225	128,299	121,003		122,155		123,110	124,450

• In general population has been decreasing in the southwest (Shenango Valley) and northwest (Greenville/Reynolds/Jamestown) regions. It has been stabile to increasing in the southeast (Grove City), central (Mercer) and northeast (Lakeview) regions. Most cities and boroughs have been decreasing and townships have been increasing.

    The population locally and nationally is aging. Between 1970 and 1990, the county’s age 65+ population increased 55% from 13,420 to 20,777 while the 0-24 population decreased 29% from 57,865 to 40,897. The median age rose from 29.2 to 36.4.

    Households are shrinking dramatically in size locally and nationally due to a lower birth rate and more divorce, separation and single parenting. The average Mercer County household shrunk from 3.43 persons in 1960 to 2.54 persons in 1990. In 1960, one in two households was a married-couple family with children. In 1990, it was one in four.

Economy

    Mercer County’s economy is rebounding from the downturn of the early 1980s. There are positive signs in number of jobs, unemployment rate and economic development activity.

• Despite a loss of nearly 8,000 non-farm jobs between 1979 and 1983, the county now (April 1999) has almost 2,000 more jobs than in 1979.

• Unemployment has been on a roller coaster ride with a peak of layoffs and plant closings in the early 1980s then another rise with Sharon Steel’s closing in 1992, but in the later 1990s has been hovering comfortably between 4% and 6%.

• There have been positive trends of new economic development. New development amounted to 224,000 square feet and 29 acres annually in the latter half of the 1980s then up to 350,000 square feet and 35 acres annually in the 1990s.

    Despite some improvement, county incomes have lagged behind state and national incomes, indicating that new jobs have not provided the same income return as lost jobs. Mercer County has seen only a 9% increase in per capita income adjusted for inflation (1980-1996) compared to a 32% state increase and 29% national increase.

Housing

    Mercer County’s housing supply grew at a time while the population did not. Housing growth 1960-90: 24.6%, population growth: –5.1%. Housing growth 1980-90: 2.2%, population growth: –5.7%. Why? The average number of people per household dropped from 3.43 in 1960 to 2.54 in 1990 due to a lower birth rate, aging of the population, more divorce & separation and changing lifestyles.

    Mobile homes are by far the fastest growing housing type. The ratio of mobile homes has grown from 1 out of 60 housing units in 1960 to 1 out of 10 housing units in 1990. It represents a demand for an affordable single-family housing alternative.

• Growth in rental housing has generally outpaced growth in owned housing in recent decades.

    Housing values have lagged behind state and national values due mostly to slower-paced local markets for housing resale and new construction and a lagging local economy.

    One of the most interesting statistics is age of housing owners. Half of all owner-occupied housing is controlled by elderly (age 65+) or near-elderly (age 55-64) persons. It is important that this large amount of housing be affordable and in sound condition for turnover to a younger generation of homeowners in the coming 10-20 years.

 

Land use trends

Mercer County land use maps for 1973 and 1993 were created in GIS format from aerial photography and field checks. The following table shows amounts of various land uses and 1973 to 1993 trends.

Mercer County Land Use 1973 & 1993

Land Use Category	1973 Acres	% Total Area	1993 Acres	% Total Area	Change 1973-93
Residential	20,502.07	4.76%	29,989.56	6.96%	46.28%
General Residential	20,370.85	4.73%	29,731.81	6.90%	45.95%
Mobile Home Park	131.22	0.03%	257.75	0.06%	96.43%
Commercial	1,464.85	0.34%	1,945.10	0.45%	32.78%
General Commercial	1,379.49	0.32%	1,676.85	0.39%	21.56%
Shopping Plaza	67.36	0.02%	268.25	0.06%	298.23%
Industrial	2,238.66	0.52%	2,769.46	0.64%	23.71%
Public & Semi-Public	1,894.52	0.44%	2,086.72	0.48%	10.15%
Recreation & Public Open Space	13,324.64	3.09%	15,224.23	3.53%	14.26%
Woodland	155,014.92	35.97%	225,664.20	52.36%	45.58%
Mineral Extraction	2,854.16	0.66%	955.50	0.22%	-66.52%
Other	233,708.80	54.22%	152,364.80	35.35%	-34.81%
Total	431,002.62	100.00%	430,999.57	100.00%	0.00%

 

(Other includes land not classified as any of the separately identified land uses. A major portion of other land use is active agricultural land.)

Source: Municipal Mapping Services, Inc. & Mercer County Regional Planning Commission.

When Mercer County’s 20-year growth rates for residential, commercial, and industrial land use are compared 20-year trends in households and population, income and retail sales, and employment, the results are revealing.

    In the 20-year period from the early 1970's to the early 1990's, residential land use grew 46% while the number of households grew only 19% and the population decreased 5%. In other words, less population lived in more housing units which on the average consumed more land than did older housing.

 

 

    In the same 20-year period, commercial land use grew 33% while median family income (adjusted for inflation) decreased 7% and retail sales (adjusted for inflation) decreased 4%. A shift occurred from older downtowns to newer suburban areas with no real gain in market share.

 

 

    In the same 20-year period, industrial land use grew 24% while non-agricultural employment grew only 2%. More land was consumed by an economy which, averaged over 20 years, was stagnant.

Graphs source: Mercer County Regional Planning Commission, U.S. Census Bureau & PA Department of Labor & Industry

 

In summary, a common theme emerges with each trend. In 20 years, more and more land was consumed by relatively the same amount of people, housing, commerce, and industry. People and development have simply chosen to relocate themselves, typically from the older, urban areas to the newer suburban and rural areas. If Mercer County were to undergo growth (very realistic given current indications), land consumption and sprawl development would be a major concern.

Additional land use trends include:

• All higher intensity, urban development type land uses (residential, commercial, industrial, public & semi-public) increased in land area.

• Significant growth of woodlands occurred between 1973 and 1993. Growth amounted to over 70,000 acres. Woodlands in 1993 occupied over half of the county land area.

• Other land uses decreased by 35%. A major component of other land use is agriculture which, as documented by many sources, experienced declines in amount of land.

 

 

Mercer County Regional Planning Commission
2491 Highland Road, Hermitage, PA 16148
mail@mcrpc.com    www.mcrpc.com

 

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