Perry County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Perry County, TN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Tennessee
-
D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Tennessee
-
F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 82% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Perry County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,697 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.6 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.23% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,610 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Perry County grew by 13.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,697 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Perry County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.1% of residents. That is 4.8 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,576 18.1% -3.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,643 18.9% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,745 20.1% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,925 22.1% +4.8 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 Tennessee, 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 49.4% of the people living in Perry County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 50.6% Tennessee 49.1%
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,499 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.06% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Perry County is about 19% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Perry County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $18,513 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $758 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.8% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Perry County is about 2.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $758 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Perry County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 196 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Perry County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.5 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.0 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 196 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,070 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,128 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 212 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Perry County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.5% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Perry County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Perry County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.5% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.4% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Perry County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Perry County, TN compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, TN | 8,697 | $56,499 #2/2 | $18,513 #2/2 | 23.5 min #1/2 |
| Hickman County, TN | 25,436 | $67,534 | $94,027 | 32.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Perry County, Tennessee.
How big is Perry County, Tennessee by population?
About 8,697 people live in Perry County, Tennessee, in 3,610 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Perry County, Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, Perry County, Tennessee has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Perry County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($18,513 against $56,499), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $758 a month takes about 16% 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, Tennessee?
9.5% of adults in Perry County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 11), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →