Perry County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Perry County, KY 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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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 83% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 73% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Perry County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,499 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 80.3 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.10% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.7 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,077 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Perry County declined by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 27,499 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Perry County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.2% of residents. That is 2.1 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,422 19.7% -1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,588 20.3% -0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,104 22.2% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,008 18.2% +0.4 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 Kentucky, 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 50.4% of the people living in Perry County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.6% Kentucky 49.5%
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 | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,766 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.94% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Perry County is about 34% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Perry County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $28,169 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $797 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.4% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Perry County is about 2.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $797 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Perry County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Perry County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.1 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.2 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,677 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,269 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 278 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Perry County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
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 | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.4% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Perry County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Perry County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 71.9 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 28.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 29.7% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Perry County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Perry County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, KY | 27,499 | $42,766 #1/3 | $28,169 #2/3 | 18.1 min #2/3 |
| Letcher County, KY | 20,808 | $41,776 | $22,812 | 20.7 min |
| Harlan County, KY | 25,771 | $41,438 | $104,521 | 17.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Perry County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Perry County, Kentucky?
About 27,499 people live in Perry County, Kentucky, in 11,077 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Perry County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Perry County, Kentucky has 80 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Perry County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($28,169 against $42,766), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $797 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Perry County, Kentucky?
12.4% of adults in Perry County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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