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Buying a home in Mercer, North Dakota

The typical owner-occupied home in Mercer is worth about $84,300, 66% below the North Dakota median of $249,900 and 75% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,000 a year in property taxes, about 1.19% of their home's value, higher than the North Dakota rate of 0.99%. The median household earns $46,429 a year, so the median home costs 1.8 times the median income (3.3 times for North Dakota). 100% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 25% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Mercer at a glance

Mercer North Dakota U.S.
Median home value $84,300 $249,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,000 $2,468 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.19% 0.99% 0.94%
Median household income $46,429 $76,657 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 100% 63% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 25% 52% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $871 $1,762 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.6% 19.4% 21.0%
Median rent – $954 $1,413
Median year homes were built 1959 1982 1980
Vacant homes 23.1% 12.3% 10.1%
Population 66 784,841 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Mercer

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Mercer home of $84,300 with 20% down costs about $572 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $713, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $24,531 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 15% of the median Mercer household income of $46,429; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $160,000.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$16,860
Loan amount$67,440
Principal and interest$454
Property taxes (1.19% a year)$84
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$35
PMI$0
Total per month$572

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$2,950
Loan amount$82,773
Principal and interest$557
Property taxes (1.19% a year)$84
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$35
FHA mortgage insurance$37
Total per month$713

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Questions about home buying in Mercer

What is the median home value in Mercer?

About $84,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Mercer?

Homeowners pay a median $1,000 a year, which is about 1.19% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Mercer?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $572 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $24,531 a year.

More about Mercer

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data