Perry County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Perry County, MO 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 91% of counties in Missouri
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 82% of counties in Missouri
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,976 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 39.2 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.11% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,525 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Perry County grew by 1.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 18,976 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Perry County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,833 20.2% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,614 19.0% -2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,009 21.1% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,572 18.8% +0.9 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 Missouri, 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 50.8% of the people living in Perry County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 49.2% Missouri 49.3%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,583 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.30% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Perry County is about 10% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $182,720 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $923 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.5% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Perry County is about 16.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $923 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Perry County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 131 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.7 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.4 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 131 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,062 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,672 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 603 | 923 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Missouri:
Saline County (11.9 min), Adair County (12.0 min), Nodaway County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Bollinger County (33.1 min), Ray County (32.2 min), Maries County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Perry County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Louis County (0.4), Platte County (0.4), Boone County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bollinger County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Ripley County (0.2).
Health
Perry County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.4 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.6% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.3% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Charles County (0.8), Platte County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
Scotland County (0.7), Ripley County (0.7), Pemiscot County (0.8).
Perry County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
Perry County, MO is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 18,976 residents against a local median of 53,061. Where Perry County, MO breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 165% above the local median of $69,066 at $182,720.
The counties themselves spread $165,131 on median home price, so Perry County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Perry County, MO has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, MO | 18,976 | $63,583 #3/4 | $182,720 #2/4 | 15.7 min #1/4 |
| Randolph County, IL | 30,051 | $69,106 | $49,530 | 18.3 min |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 82,735 | $67,617 | $214,661 | 17.0 min |
| Jackson County, IL | 53,061 | $48,884 | $69,066 | 16.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Perry County, Missouri.
How many people live in Perry County, Missouri?
About 18,976 people live in Perry County, Missouri, in 7,525 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Perry County, Missouri mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Perry County, Missouri has 39 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 45% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Perry County, Missouri?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($182,720 against $63,583), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $923 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Perry County, Missouri have a college degree?
19.1% of adults in Perry County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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