Perry County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Perry County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 11,459. It is the 65th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Perry County is 42.9 years. This is 12% higher than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Perry County is $50,435. This is 8% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 36% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 18.1%. This is 5% lower than the state poverty rate of 19.1%. The unemployment rate is 6.2%. This is 3% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $126,000. Housing costs are 22% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Perry County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 80.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Perry County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 77.4% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 15.8%. The Black or African American population (15.8%) is well below the state average of 36.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.8%) is well below the state average of 3.6%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (2.3% vs 1.0%).

Education

11.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 53% lower than the state rate of 24.2%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Perry County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Mississippi and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.