Perry County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Perry County, AR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageHealthier than 77% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Perry County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,079 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 18.0 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.30% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,094 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Perry County declined by 2.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,079 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Perry County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.8% of residents. That is 3.7 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,819 18.0% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,940 19.2% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,167 21.5% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,199 21.8% +3.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arkansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.6% of the people living in Perry County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 50.4% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Perry County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Perry County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Perry County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,528 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.85% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Perry County is about 7% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Perry County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $266,447 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $805 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.4% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Perry County is about 27.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $805 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Perry County spend about 64 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 268 hours, about 11.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Perry County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 32.2 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 64.4 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 268 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,318 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,856 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 636 | 912 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arkansas:
Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min).
Slowest:
Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).
The average commute time in Perry County is 32 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in Arkansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Perry County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Perry County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arkansas:
Pulaski County (0.3), Benton County (0.3), Washington County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2), Scott County (0.2).
Health
Perry County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Perry County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.8% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.2% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arkansas:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Phillips County (0.7), Chicot County (0.7), Desha County (0.8).
Perry County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
Perry County, AR is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 10,079 residents against a local median of 64,050. The measure that sets Perry County, AR apart most is median home price: $266,447, 206% above the local median of $87,137.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 32.2 min against a local median of 18.2 min, 77% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 77% above the local median it puts Perry County, AR at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $177,618 on median home price, so Perry County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Perry County, AR has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, AR | 10,079 | $56,528 #5/6 | $266,447 #1/6 | 32.2 min #6/6 |
| Conway County, AR | 21,055 | $55,358 | $14,762 | 22.9 min |
| Saline County, AR | 127,467 | $79,874 | $192,380 | 26.1 min |
| Garland County, AR | 100,035 | $57,868 | $77,340 | 17.2 min |
| Yell County, AR | 20,123 | $58,169 | $87,137 | 18.2 min |
| Pope County, AR | 64,050 | $57,850 | $98,062 | 16.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Perry County, Arkansas.
How many people live in Perry County, Arkansas?
About 10,079 people live in Perry County, Arkansas, in 4,094 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Perry County, Arkansas?
Averaged over its land area, Perry County, Arkansas has 18 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 21% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Perry County, Arkansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($266,447 against $56,528), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $805 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Perry County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Perry County, Arkansas is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Perry County, Arkansas?
14.0% of adults in Perry County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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