Perry County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Perry County is located in Missouri with a total population of 18,947. It is the 57th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 8 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Perry County is 41.6 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Perry County is $63,356. This is 8% lower than the state median of $68,920. It is also 19% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 11.0%. This is 13% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 4.8%. This is 16% higher than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $189,400. Housing costs are 12% lower than the state median of $215,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 77.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 14% higher than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Perry County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.8% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.3%. The Black or African American population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 5.1%. The Asian population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

22.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 31% lower than the state rate of 31.9%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 87.9%.

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 Missouri 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.