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Perry County, Mississippi

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Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,511.[1] The county seat is New Augusta.[2] The county is named after the War of 1812 naval hero, Oliver Hazard Perry.

Perry County, Mississippi
County
Perry County Courthouse New Augusta
Perry County Courthouse New Augusta
Map of Mississippi highlighting Perry County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Coordinates: 31°10′N 88°59′W / 31.17°N 88.99°W / 31.17; -88.99
Country United States
State Mississippi
Founded1820
Named afterOliver Hazard Perry
SeatNew Augusta
Largest townRichton
Area
 • Total
650 sq mi (1,700 km2)
 • Land647 sq mi (1,680 km2)
 • Water3.0 sq mi (7.8 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
11,511
 • Estimate 
(2025)
11,577 Increase
 • Density17.8/sq mi (6.87/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th

Perry County is part of the Hattiesburg, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Until 1906, the county seat was the old town of Augusta, near the center of the county on the east bank of the Leaf River. At Old Augusta, the outlaw James Copeland was executed by hanging on October 30, 1857.[3] Old Augusta remains a small village today. New Augusta, two miles south of Old Augusta, was made the county seat of Perry County, because it was situated on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City Railroad.[4]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 650 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 647 square miles (1,680 km2) is land and 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2) (0.5%) is water.[5]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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National protected area

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18202,037—
18302,30012.9%
18401,889−17.9%
18502,43829.1%
18602,6066.9%
18702,6943.4%
18803,42727.2%
18906,49489.5%
190014,682126.1%
19107,685−47.7%
19208,98716.9%
19308,197−8.8%
19409,29213.4%
19509,108−2.0%
19608,745−4.0%
19709,0653.7%
19809,8648.8%
199010,86510.1%
200012,13811.7%
201012,2500.9%
202011,511−6.0%
2025 (est.)11,577[6] Increase0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[11]

Racial and ethnic composition

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Perry County, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[12] Pop 1990[13] Pop 2000[14] Pop 2010[15] Pop 2020[16] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 7,666 8,300 9,194 9,514 8,868 77.72% 76.39% 75.75% 77.67% 77.04%
Black or African American alone (NH) 2,101 2,447 2,713 2,449 2,097 21.30% 22.52% 22.35% 19.99% 18.22%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 5 66 38 32 45 0.05% 0.61% 0.31% 0.26% 0.39%
Asian alone (NH) 5 5 14 14 29 0.05% 0.05% 0.12% 0.11% 0.25%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [17] x [18] 6 0 3 x x 0.05% 0.00% 0.03%
Other race alone (NH) 0 1 0 12 13 0.00% 0.01% 0.00% 0.10% 0.11%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [19] x [20] 51 110 302 x x 0.42% 0.90% 2.62%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 87 46 122 119 154 0.88% 0.42% 1.01% 0.97% 1.34%
Total 9,864 10,865 12,138 12,250 11,511 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,511. The median age was 43.5 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.7 males age 18 and over.[21][22]

The racial makeup of the county was 77.7% White, 18.2% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population.[22]

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[23]

There were 4,653 households in the county, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.3% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]

There were 5,426 housing units, of which 14.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.9% were owner-occupied and 19.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.9%.[21]

Communities

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Towns

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Census-designated place

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Unincorporated communities

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Notable people

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Politics

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Perry County is strongly Republican. It has selected the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1976, often by large margins. Every election from 2016 through 2024 was the best subsequent Republican performance in the county since 1972.

United States presidential election results for Perry County, Mississippi[24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1912 4 1.27% 257 81.85% 53 16.88%
1916 32 7.11% 395 87.78% 23 5.11%
1920 69 20.00% 271 78.55% 5 1.45%
1924 55 12.09% 383 84.18% 17 3.74%
1928 277 49.46% 283 50.54% 0 0.00%
1932 15 2.77% 523 96.49% 4 0.74%
1936 16 2.12% 737 97.88% 0 0.00%
1940 18 2.13% 828 97.87% 0 0.00%
1944 44 5.24% 796 94.76% 0 0.00%
1948 25 2.85% 87 9.92% 765 87.23%
1952 511 39.52% 782 60.48% 0 0.00%
1956 347 31.55% 581 52.82% 172 15.64%
1960 274 20.39% 514 38.24% 556 41.37%
1964 1,775 86.42% 279 13.58% 0 0.00%
1968 227 7.08% 439 13.69% 2,541 79.23%
1972 2,689 84.14% 446 13.95% 61 1.91%
1976 1,527 40.99% 1,965 52.75% 233 6.26%
1980 2,255 52.90% 1,957 45.91% 51 1.20%
1984 3,098 65.30% 1,415 29.83% 231 4.87%
1988 2,983 68.62% 1,326 30.50% 38 0.87%
1992 2,538 56.39% 1,490 33.10% 473 10.51%
1996 2,178 53.72% 1,413 34.85% 463 11.42%
2000 3,026 69.42% 1,285 29.48% 48 1.10%
2004 3,747 74.49% 1,261 25.07% 22 0.44%
2008 4,067 71.80% 1,533 27.07% 64 1.13%
2012 4,137 72.30% 1,527 26.69% 58 1.01%
2016 4,135 76.12% 1,220 22.46% 77 1.42%
2020 4,500 76.06% 1,362 23.02% 54 0.91%
2024 4,425 79.89% 1,078 19.46% 36 0.65%

Education

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There are two school districts in the county: Perry County Schools and Richton School District.[25]

The county is in the zone for Jones College.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Census - Geography Profile: Perry County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ The Notorious Copeland Gang.
  4. ↑ Perry County, Mississippi Genealogy and History
  5. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  6. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  11. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Mississippi - Table 58 - Race by Sex: 1980 and Table 59 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 17-32. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Mississippi: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 9-37. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2024 – via Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Perry County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Perry County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Perry County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  17. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  18. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  19. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  20. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  21. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  22. 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  23. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  24. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  25. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Perry County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list
  26. ↑ "Profile". Jones College. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
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