County Overview


Click above to see our recently completed MCEDA Tri-fold brochure.

Click above to see our recently completed MCEDA Tri-fold brochure.

Click here for comprehensive Overview Data.

Mercer County offers prime real estate, low cost, a strong labor pool, low crime, arts and culture, outstanding outdoor recreation, professional sports teams, and a central location that is easily accessible and puts you within a day's drive to two-third's of the U.S. population.

The climate is ideal year-round. The high elevation helps to moderate summer heat and humidity. Excellent health care is available at two community hospitals, a regional medical center and a rehabilitation center.

Residents enjoy an abundance of leisure activities including arts and crafts, theater productions, skiing, hunting, fishing, golf, a popular state park, all in their back yard.

Unique among local sporting attractions is Appalachian League baseball which includes the Bluefield Orioles and the Princeton Devil Rays ­ farm clubs of the major league Baltimore Orioles and Florida Marlins.

 

Find out about our two cities . . . Bluefield & Princeton!

Education Climate Income
Communication Religious Organizations Lodging
Libraries Government Hospitals/Medical
Transportation Recreation Major Employers

 

Education

Education is the key to the county's continued quality of life. Over 1,200 professional, supervisory and support personnel are employed in the county, serving over 11,000 students in the educational system

College opportunities are plentiful with two, four-year colleges in the county, Concord College and Bluefield State College, offering undergraduate degree programs. Graduate degrees are available at both institutions via the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies (COGS).

 
Schools
Teachers
Grades
Enrollment
Elementary
18
327
K-6
5,448
Jr. High
2
115
7-9
1,188
High
4
203
10-12
2,682
Private & Parochial
2
14
K-12
251
Technical
1
32
10-adult
920
Colleges
2
Bluefield State College
       
Bluefield College
       
Concord University
       

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Communication
 
Newspapers:
Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Daily & Sunday)
Princeton Times (Weekly)
 
Radio:
WAEY FM - 96/AM - 1490
WAMN AM - 1040
WHIS AM - 1440
WHAJ FM - 104
WKOY AM - 1240
WKMY FM - 101
WGAG FM - 93.1
 
Television:
WVVA-TV (Channel 6)
Comcast Cable
Suddenlink
 
Telephone:
Frontier Communication

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Public Libraries
Total Libraries: 4 Total Volumes: 301,536

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Transportation
 
Motor trucking served by:
Consolidated Motor Express
Heavy Hauling
Yellow Freight
UPS Freight
 
Bus Service:
Greyhound and Bluefield Transit Authority
Intracity-Yes
 
Parcel Service:
Federal Express
United Parcel Service
Airborne Express
Wells Fargo
DHL Worldwide Express
 
Air Service:
Mercer County is served by the Mercer County Airport
Runway Length - 4,743 feet
Surface - asphalt
Commercial service - Yes

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Climate

 

Annual Avg.

Monthly Avg.

Temperature

52.0

January 30.9
July 70.2

Rainfall (inches)

38.4

Snowfall (inches)  

35-45

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Religious Organizations

Prostestant

102

Catholic

3

Synagogue

1

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Government

Mercer County government is responsible for numerous and varied functions, which are administered by local elected officials. The government of Mercer County plays a very large role in delivering public services to the citizens in their county, i.e. police protection, health services, recreation, fire protection, flood protection, ambulances, senior citizen programs, and transportation.

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Recreational Facilities

Amateur Theaters

2

Auto Race Tracks

2

Ball Fields

4

Bowling Centers

2

Drive-in

1

Fitness Centers

2

Golf Courses

4

Indoor Movies

8

Pools

4

Tennis Courts

16

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Per Capita/Income Average

Mercer County

$24,830

(2005)

Average Weekly Wage

$515.46

(2006)

     
Industry Average  
Annual Wage

$27,244

(2005)

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Lodging/Retail Outlets

Motels

11

Total Rooms

1129

Shopping Centers

6

Department Stores

9

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Hospitals & Medical

Hospitals

4

Number of beds

551

Clinics

8

 

 

Doctors

136

   
Dentists

30

   

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Major Employers
     
Number of Employees
 
Company
 
 
 
1200
  Mercer County Board of Education
1200
  Princeton Community Hospital
1094
  Bluefield Regional Medical Center
500
  Echo Star
400
  Norfolk Southern
380
  Wal-Mart
327
  Bluefield Daily Telegraph
310
  WV Division of Highways
289
  Columbia St. Lukes Hospital
250
  Concord University
250
  Smith Services
222
  Kroger (Pctn,Blf,Bluewell)
200
  Lowes (Seasonal)
185
  First Community Bank
180
  U.S. Postal Service
175
  Flowers Baking Company
170
  Cole Chevrolet Cadillac
155
  Conn-Weld Industries
150
  Appalachian Power
150
  Ramey Motors
140
  Frontier Communications
124
  Bluefield State College
120
  Glenwood Retirement Village
119
  First Century Bank
118
  Civic Development Group
110
  Custom Manufacturing Services
110
  Compton Construction
100
  Mercer Nursing & Rehabilitation
100
  BB&T
100
  CNX
95
  Tabor Machine Co., Inc.
94
  Allegheny Wood Products
88
  K-Mart
75
  Downard Hydraulics
75
  Gemark Services of WV
75
  Lusk Disposal/Empire Storage
70
  Industrial Plating, Inc.
65
  Minova USA
60
  Parson & Associates
60
  Andy Clark Ford, Inc.
59
  Eastern Vault
50
  King Tire Services
47
  Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
47
  T & N Electric
45
  Appalachian Log Structures
43
  Daniels Company
32
  Rish Equipment
30
  Acme Wood Preserving
27
  Princeton Machinery
25
  The Havens
25
  IPM Technologies

 

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