Perry County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Perry County, MS 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 77% of counties in Mississippi
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 88% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Perry County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,449 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 17.6 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.76% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,647 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Perry County declined by 5.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,449 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Perry County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.7% of residents. That is 1.4 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,373 20.7% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,289 20.0% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,357 20.6% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,147 18.8% +1.0 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 Mississippi, 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 51.0% of the people living in Perry County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 49.0% Mississippi 48.5%
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,525 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.59% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Perry County is about 13% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Perry County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $30,000 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $754 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.5% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Perry County is about 3.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $754 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Perry County spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 214 hours, about 8.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Perry County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.7 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.4 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 214 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,644 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 1.5% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,702 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 510 | 914 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Mississippi:
Sharkey County (11.9 min), Coahoma County (13.2 min), Leflore County (15.2 min).
Slowest:
Wilkinson County (36.8 min), Tate County (32.8 min), Greene County (32.7 min).
The average commute time in Perry County is 26 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Mississippi.
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.9% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.4), Lafayette County (0.3), Oktibbeha County (0.3).
Lowest:
Issaquena County (0.1), Tallahatchie County (0.2), Greene County (0.2).
Health
Perry County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Perry County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.1% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.3% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.8), Lafayette County (0.8), Oktibbeha County (0.8).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7), Sharkey County (0.7).
Perry County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Perry County, MS is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 11,449 residents against a local median of 66,472. Perry County, MS's median home price, at $30,000, runs 49% below the $59,090 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 25.7 min against a local median of 18.6 min, 38% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 38% above the local median it puts Perry County, MS at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $215,169 on median home price, so Perry County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Perry County, MS has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, MS | 11,449 | $49,525 #4/4 | $30,000 #4/4 | 25.7 min #3/4 |
| Forrest County, MS | 78,271 | $54,020 | $258,536 | 17.2 min |
| George County, MS | 25,170 | $59,773 | $59,090 | 31.1 min |
| Jones County, MS | 66,472 | $52,902 | $43,367 | 18.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Perry County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Perry County, Mississippi?
About 11,449 people live in Perry County, Mississippi, in 4,647 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Perry County, Mississippi urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Perry County, Mississippi has 18 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 20% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Perry County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 0.6 times the median household income ($30,000 against $49,525), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $754 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Perry County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Perry County, Mississippi is only 1.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Perry County, Mississippi?
9.9% of adults in Perry County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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