Perry County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Perry County has a population of 20,639 residents and a median age of 42.0 years, making it the #1,843 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.9%. The median home value is $112,600, and the median household income is $62,118, which is 17% below the national median.
Demographics
Perry County has a population of 20,639, making it the #1,843 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Perry County is $62,118, ranking #1,888 out of 3,222 counties — 17.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.9% and unemployment stands at 4.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Perry County is $112,600 (-60.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $728/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Perry County, 13.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 59.4% below the national average, ranking #2,969 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Perry County is 75.4 years. 22.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.3% of adults in Perry County smoke , 39.5% are obese , and 21.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 21.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.1 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
24.4% of children in Perry County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Perry County is 59.5%. The mean commute time is 26.5 min, which is 4.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Perry County voted Republican with a margin of 52.0%. The vote was 23.2% Dem / 75.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Perry County, Illinois
Perry County, Illinois has a total population of 20,639, making it the 1,843rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Perry County is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Perry County is $62,118, which ranks #1,888 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.5%.
The median home value in Perry County is $112,600, 60.1% below the national median. Renters in Perry County pay a median gross rent of $728 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Perry County, 13.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 59.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.5 min.
Perry County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.9% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (7.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.7%).
All data for Perry County, Illinois comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.