Perry County, Mississippi
County in Mississippi, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,511.[1] The county seat is New Augusta.[2] The county is named after the War of 1812 naval hero, Oliver Hazard Perry.
Perry County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
Perry County Courthouse New Augusta | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
| Coordinates: 31°10′N 88°59′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1820 |
| Named after | Oliver Hazard Perry |
| Seat | New Augusta |
| Largest town | Richton |
| Area | |
• Total | 650 sq mi (1,700 km2) |
| • Land | 647 sq mi (1,680 km2) |
| • Water | 3.0 sq mi (7.8 km2) 0.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,511 |
| • Density | 17.8/sq mi (6.87/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Perry County is part of the Hattiesburg, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Until 1906, the county seat was the old town of Augusta, near the center of the county on the east bank of the Leaf River. At Old Augusta, the outlaw James Copeland was executed by hanging on October 30, 1857.[3] Old Augusta remains a small village today. New Augusta, two miles south of Old Augusta, was made the county seat of Perry County, because it was situated on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City Railroad.[4]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 650 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 647 square miles (1,680 km2) is land and 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2) (0.5%) is water.[5]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Wayne County (northeast)
- Greene County (east)
- George County (southeast)
- Stone County (south)
- Forrest County (west)
- Jones County (northwest)
National protected area
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 2,037 | — | |
| 1830 | 2,300 | 12.9% | |
| 1840 | 1,889 | −17.9% | |
| 1850 | 2,438 | 29.1% | |
| 1860 | 2,606 | 6.9% | |
| 1870 | 2,694 | 3.4% | |
| 1880 | 3,427 | 27.2% | |
| 1890 | 6,494 | 89.5% | |
| 1900 | 14,682 | 126.1% | |
| 1910 | 7,685 | −47.7% | |
| 1920 | 8,987 | 16.9% | |
| 1930 | 8,197 | −8.8% | |
| 1940 | 9,292 | 13.4% | |
| 1950 | 9,108 | −2.0% | |
| 1960 | 8,745 | −4.0% | |
| 1970 | 9,065 | 3.7% | |
| 1980 | 9,864 | 8.8% | |
| 1990 | 10,865 | 10.1% | |
| 2000 | 12,138 | 11.7% | |
| 2010 | 12,250 | 0.9% | |
| 2020 | 11,511 | −6.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 11,406 | [6]  | −0.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[11] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,511. The median age was 43.5 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.7 males age 18 and over.[12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 77.7% White, 18.2% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population.[13]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 4,653 households in the county, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.3% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 5,426 housing units, of which 14.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.9% were owner-occupied and 19.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.9%.[12]
Communities
Notable people
- John Prentiss Carter, American politician
- Dale Goodin, American politician
- Tristan Jackson, American football player
- Brandon Sumrall, American football player
- De'Lance Turner, American football player
Politics
Perry County is strongly Republican. It has selected the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1976, often by large margins. Every election from 2016 through 2024 was the best subsequent Republican performance in the county since 1972.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 4 | 1.27% | 257 | 81.85% | 53 | 16.88% |
| 1916 | 32 | 7.11% | 395 | 87.78% | 23 | 5.11% |
| 1920 | 69 | 20.00% | 271 | 78.55% | 5 | 1.45% |
| 1924 | 55 | 12.09% | 383 | 84.18% | 17 | 3.74% |
| 1928 | 277 | 49.46% | 283 | 50.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 15 | 2.77% | 523 | 96.49% | 4 | 0.74% |
| 1936 | 16 | 2.12% | 737 | 97.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 18 | 2.13% | 828 | 97.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 44 | 5.24% | 796 | 94.76% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 25 | 2.85% | 87 | 9.92% | 765 | 87.23% |
| 1952 | 511 | 39.52% | 782 | 60.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 347 | 31.55% | 581 | 52.82% | 172 | 15.64% |
| 1960 | 274 | 20.39% | 514 | 38.24% | 556 | 41.37% |
| 1964 | 1,775 | 86.42% | 279 | 13.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 227 | 7.08% | 439 | 13.69% | 2,541 | 79.23% |
| 1972 | 2,689 | 84.14% | 446 | 13.95% | 61 | 1.91% |
| 1976 | 1,527 | 40.99% | 1,965 | 52.75% | 233 | 6.26% |
| 1980 | 2,255 | 52.90% | 1,957 | 45.91% | 51 | 1.20% |
| 1984 | 3,098 | 65.30% | 1,415 | 29.83% | 231 | 4.87% |
| 1988 | 2,983 | 68.62% | 1,326 | 30.50% | 38 | 0.87% |
| 1992 | 2,538 | 56.39% | 1,490 | 33.10% | 473 | 10.51% |
| 1996 | 2,178 | 53.72% | 1,413 | 34.85% | 463 | 11.42% |
| 2000 | 3,026 | 69.42% | 1,285 | 29.48% | 48 | 1.10% |
| 2004 | 3,747 | 74.49% | 1,261 | 25.07% | 22 | 0.44% |
| 2008 | 4,067 | 71.80% | 1,533 | 27.07% | 64 | 1.13% |
| 2012 | 4,137 | 72.30% | 1,527 | 26.69% | 58 | 1.01% |
| 2016 | 4,135 | 76.12% | 1,220 | 22.46% | 77 | 1.42% |
| 2020 | 4,500 | 76.06% | 1,362 | 23.02% | 54 | 0.91% |
| 2024 | 4,425 | 79.89% | 1,078 | 19.46% | 36 | 0.65% |
Education
There are two school districts in the county: Perry County Schools and Richton School District.[16]
The county is in the zone for Jones College.[17]
