Perry County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Perry County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 8,561. It is the 88th most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 2 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 $50,489. This is 25% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 36% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 17.7%. This is 29% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 8.9%. This is 88% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $113,800. Housing costs are 56% lower than the state median of $256,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Perry County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Perry County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.2% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.8%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 15.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.8%) is well below the state average of 7.1%.

Education

12.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 58% lower than the state rate of 30.4%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 82.4%.

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 Tennessee 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.